


To the Moon and Back

by RainCoveredLens, ToMarsAndBeyond3



Series: The Modern Fenrisulfr [1]
Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Beauty and the Beast, Death, Dirk is a gay icon, Explosions, Fluff, I know we did, LOTS of violence, Love, M/M, Mr. Priest is the reason I'm not religious, Pain, Roadtrip, Scott Borten knows aliens but it isn't important, Squeaky toys, Todd is of course bi as fuck, Torture, Violence, Werewolf, Werewolf!AU, Werewolf!Rowdy3, Werewolf!Todd, Werewolves, also there was lots of cackling, and Dirk knows the doctor, and references, and that it feeds all of your angsty fluff murder needs, because everyone is just so pretty, but again not important, but in all honesty, but in the best possible way, but not in a weird way, but that is also not important, cause we might be crazy, don’t worry he doesn't stay that way, he might also be part of a scooby gang, i hope this makes you cry, like a lot of violence, lots of death, okay but seriously, some more murder, there's lots of puns, time jumps because we hate you, warning you now, we cried a lot, we really hope you like this, we straight up kill dirk, we're not complete monsters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-03-21 01:16:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 79,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13730031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainCoveredLens/pseuds/RainCoveredLens, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToMarsAndBeyond3/pseuds/ToMarsAndBeyond3
Summary: “Yes. I was on my way to the doughnut shop, when I found myself in a different shop. And I saw this and thought that it would look really nice with your others. I mean, I’ve never really asked, but it seems like you collect them so,” Dirk had pulled out the small rainbow heart and held it out to Todd. Dirk wasn’t sure what he had expected when he handed Todd the toy, certainly not for Todd to jump backwards like Dirk had just shoved a cross in the face of a vampire.“Is that a squeaky toy?” Todd shouted. His eyes had gone wide and Dirk realized that Todd’s breathing had increased. How could the toy have given Todd a panic attack?“I, well, yes. You collect them don’t you?"





	1. Are You Telling Me You Don’t Collect Squeaky Toys?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! And welcome to the werewolf AU nobody asked for but we delivered anyway! We would like to give all of you an advance warning, the plot takes a very dark turn during the second and third parts. Like, we straight up kill one of the main characters after violently beating him. He lives. But he also dies. So you've been warned, but we hope you like it!
> 
> We would like to dedicate this piece to Ethan, our FBI Agent, who watched as we turned organized fluff into brutal torture and death. And who accidentally forgot to go incognito that one time, and we both saw him hanging in the document. That’s right, Ethan. We knew you were watching the whole time!

_**May** _

**Todd doesn’t know how to talk about things like a person**

“Did they say when they would be getting here?” Dirk asked from the floor. He was currently laying on the ground in the middle of the office while Todd and Farah tried to do paperwork. He had been laying there for the better part of the last hour while time marched forward and Todd was sure he was going to drown in insurance forms. Todd peeked over his desk and down at him.

“No. Amanda said they were a ways out of the city, but around lunch time. Of course, that could be anytime between 11 and 3 in Rowdy time.” Todd leaned back into his chair and continued to work on the insurance forms from their last case. Apparently Farah thought that the car being demolished by an alien cruiser was not going to fly with the insurance company so Todd was trying to come up with another reason the SUV had been flattened. They had already used the construction accident excuse and Todd felt that the insurance company would not accept that answer again. For a third time, certainly not.

Dirk sighed dramatically as he continued to stare at the ceiling like it would somehow produce food if he wished hard enough.

“But I haven’t eaten anything of substance all morning. I knew they were coming and so I braved the morning without any source of nutrients. I was promised burgers and pizza and have yet to see either! This is an outrage. An outrage I say!” There was a flutter of paper as Farah dropped the forms she was working on and glanced over at him, an eyebrow raised.

“Dirk, you ate three of the four doughnuts from the box this morning. That is certainly not nothing.” Farah said, gesturing toward the nearly empty plate on the reception desk. The agency didn’t actually have a receptionist, but the desk acted as a nice barrier between potential clients and the rest of the office. Dirk craned his neck to look at the plate and grumbled.

“Those don’t count. They were hardly anything! Merely a sweet treat to begin the morning.”

“You can have the last one if you want?” Todd suggested not looking up for the paperwork. He was so close to being done, and then he could focus on relaxing and catching up with Amanda. It had been far too long since they had really talked, and the last time Todd had actually seen Amanda in person was after the whole thing with Wendimoor, which was almost four months ago.

Dirk groaned again and let his head roll to the side to look up at Todd.

“But, it’s so far, and I’m so comfortable where I am, can you get it?” Todd looked up from the forms, his eyebrows raised as if to say ‘really?’.

“You’ve got legs. You can get it.”

“But Todd!”

“Dude, I’m not going to–”

“Todd!” Dirk whined, his voice grating against Todd’s ears in only a way that Dirk Gently could grate. Todd sighed and slapped his palms onto his desk, pushing himself up from the chair.

“Fine. But I will remember this.” As Todd walked towards the table Dirk smiled up at him.

“Thanks Todd, much appreciated.” Todd rolled his eyes and had just made it to the plate when a new smell hit his nose. A strange mix of motor oil, and cigarettes, and something almost familiar let him know that Amanda and the Rowdies had arrived, but there was something else. Something he couldn’t quite place.

He looked up just as Amanda pushed open the door, a wide grin glued to her face.

“Hey, bitches! What’s up?” Todd gave her a smile as she entered followed closely by Beast who bypassed Todd and raced straight to Dirk who was trying to sit up but was tackled back to the floor. A yelp sounded and Todd wasn’t sure if it was Beast or Dirk, but Beast continued her assault.

“Bibbit!” Beast shouted, wrapping Dirk in a tight hug as he tried to return the gesture as best he could with his arms trapped to his sides.

“Oh, um, hello Beast. It’s nice to see you too. Would you mind, perchance, releasing me so that I can stand up?” Beast let him go and dragged him to his feet as the other Rowdies crowded in behind Amanda. The usual boisterous nature of the Rowdies had quieted as they all looked at Todd.

They had never really liked him, especially not with all the lying he had done to Amanda. But after Wendimoor they had seemed more amicable, more okay with his presence and didn’t seem to want to strangle him every time they saw him. But it had been four months since the last time they had seen each other. And it had been three and a half months since the incident.

Todd didn’t love thinking about the incident. The scars on his stomach started to ache without fail whenever he did; but also because he still hadn’t told anyone, not even Dirk. And especially not Amanda. Todd wasn’t sure if he hadn’t told anyone out of fear for himself or out of fear that telling people would somehow put them in danger, but all the same, no one knew.

Or at least, nobody had known.

Martin and Todd locked eyes and Todd knew. He knew deep in his bones. And Todd knew that Martin knew, the way his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. There was no mistaking it.

There were two things that could happen next. Martin could continue on with his life with the Rowdies, and say nothing, and pretend like the whole thing wasn’t happening. Or, he could out Todd, and out the others in the process, because up until thirty seconds ago, Todd thought he was the odd one out of their little patchwork family. Come to find out that he had not one, but four others just like him.

“So where did we want to grab food?” Amanda asked, moving away from Todd and sideling over to Farah’s desk, giving her a smile.

“Dirk said he wanted pizza and burgers. We can do the Big Belly Burger on fifth if you want.” Farah said, standing and grabbing her keys and phone. Amanda frowned glancing quickly between Farah and Dirk.

“Isn’t there a Big Belly Burger right down the street?” Amanda asked, gesturing with her thumb. Dirk’s head snapped up, an odd look of panic on his face. Farah made a tsk-ing noise as she shook her head, a look of annoyance beginning to cross her features.

“We can’t go there. Dirk isn’t allowed after the Soda Incident.” Farah said pointedly, watching as Dirk began to shuffle back and forth. Amanda raised her eyebrows and glanced over at Dirk who had gone quite red around the ears.

“Do I want to know?” She asked. Dirk grabbed the front of his jacket, looking a little more ruffled than usual.

“Let’s just say that I had it on good authority that aliens are susceptible to liquids and the waiter was an alien who we were trying to apprehend! It only made sense to make all of the fizzy drinks explode onto him.” Amanda was laughing as Farah sighed heavily, crossing her arms and closing her eyes, taking deep breaths.

“Who even told you that? M. Night Shyamalan?” Farah asked watching as Amanda, who had been leaning on the side of the desk, almost lost her balance from laughing so hard.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Farah! I don’t know any knights. It was Loki, if you must know.” Dirk answered, crossing his arms indignantly across his chest. Amanda held up her hands as she tried to steady her breathing.

“Hold up. Loki, the– the Norse god of mischief, told you something and you believed him? Dirk, come on. He was very clearly messing with you.” Amanda smiled over as Dirk threw his hands up.

“But he’s a god! He knows things!”

“Yes. He knows how to make people look very silly and get them kicked out of burger restaurants.” Farah said walking around the desk and noticing for the first time that Todd and the Rowdies still hadn’t moved. Farah narrowed her eyes and carefully nudged Amanda’s arm. Amanda turned and watched for a moment as Todd and the Rowdies continued to stare at each other.

How long had they been standing there? Since they had walked through the door.

Amanda looked back at Farah who was now frowning over at her.

“We should, go, do that, get food that is,” Amanda said, moving carefully away from Todd and the Rowdies and over towards Dirk and Beast who was trying get a hold of Dirk’s jacket.

“Come on you two.” Farah helped Amanda push the two of them towards the backdoor, with quite a bit of resistance from Dirk.

“Wait, what about them and Todd? Are we not all going?” He asked craning his neck so that he could see that Todd and the Rowdies still hadn’t moved.

“Nope, just us, they’re gonna chat, about things, and, stuff. Come on. Burgers!” Amanda said as they made it to the kitchen.

“Borgahs! Borgahs!” Beast shouted, grabbing hold of Dirk’s hands and dragging him the rest of the way to the back door and out into the afternoon sun.

Todd barely registered that the others had left. He was too focused on the main Rowdies to really pay attention to the other things going on around him. Could this really be a thing? Did Todd actually know others like himself? He had thought about it a couple times over the last few months, trying to find someone else like him, but he had never thought that four of them would just appear, and certainly not four people he already knew.

Todd realized that the others had gone when Martin leaned in, the speed faster than what Todd was used to, and took a long, deep inhale.

“Bitten, eh?” Martin asked, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips revealing rather sharp canines. Had they always been that sharp or had he never been this close to the eldest Rowdy? Todd moved back slightly, his eyes going wide. He had been right! He had guessed a thing, and he realized that he didn’t know what to do next. So he did what came easiest: Todd lied.

“What? No, I– you, I don’t know– bitten? By what?” Cross, Gripps and Vogel had circled the table and blocked Todd’s escape, pushing him back towards Martin who vaulted over the desk so that there was nothing between him and Todd.

“Don’t play dumb, boy. We know. We all know. Because you know. And you know that we know, ya’ know? Ain’t that right boys?” Martin said, not taking his eyes from Todd, the too toothy grin still on his face.

“Sure do!” Cross said.

“We know lots.” Gripps added.

“Bitten! Just like me.” Vogel said, getting slightly closer to Todd, a smile on his face. Todd looked around the circle, a tension forming in his chest. This was a lot, this was almost too much. He was having trouble breathing, the scents of the Rowdies filling his nose.

The tension continued to build in his chest and he suddenly recognised the emotion; guilt. He felt guilty about lying, he had been doing it for months, and here was his chance not to lie anymore, to be the better person that he wanted so desperately to be. He was going to talk about this, because, they knew, he knew, and they knew that he knew. Todd sighed, and relaxed, looking up at Martin who was still watching him, the toothy grin having softened slightly.

“Yeah. Okay, yeah. I–” Todd took another deep breath, the tension in his chest had eased slightly, but he was still anxious. “You’re right. I got bit a couple months back, after I saw you all last.” The group remained silent as Todd held his breath. Waiting. To get hit, or to get yelled at, he wasn’t sure, but he was waiting. Martin continued to stare and then after almost a minute Martin glanced over at Vogel and gave a quick nod.

Vogel leaped forward and tackled Todd, giggles accented by several high pitched whoops.

“Welcome to the club man!”

Todd was encapsulated in a numbing hug, Vogel’s embrace feeling as if he was a snake trying to kill its prey. The ground seemed to rise up to meet them – the force of the embrace having knocked them both onto the floor – and Todd tried his best to squirm out of the young Rowdy’s grasp.

“What!? Wait, hold on, what–”

Todd lurched forward, breaking Vogel’s embrace and propping himself up on his arms; panting as his chest heaved from the sudden impulsive attack from Vogel. He raised one hand, balancing on the other to try and stay in a semi-seated position, and gestured wildly to the group banded around him.

“ _What_ was that about!?”

“You’re part of the club now, man!” Vogel had a delirious smile on his face, animalistic, a Rowdy smile. He rocked quickly back onto his heels. “You’re like us!”

“It’s the Spooky Wolf Club,” Gripps said, his chest shaking with laughter. Cross nudged him with his elbow, grinning widely.

Vogel had always been the only one to really, truly call it a club. He was young, and the other Rowdies had yet to be found to pass up an opportunity to humor the willowy, slightly life-threatening youngest member of their group. Thus, you could usually find them referring to their pack as a club.

Ironically, of course.

“The Spooky… what?” Cross, Gripps, and Martin were all towering over Todd. Ignoring the fact that they did this even while he was standing, Todd’s eyes were flitting wildly between them. He half expected them to yell at him or kick him, he expected them to do _something_. This hadn’t been kept secret for no reason. He’d expected a lot of things.

Not this, however.

Martin smiled, his expression containing too many teeth for comfort. He jerked his head up, a sign to Vogel, and Vogel jumped to his feet. The next moment found Todd being pulled up off the floor without warning. He stumbled over his feet, falling right into Gripps.

“Cool to meet you too, Wolf Boy.” Gripps’ voice was gravelly, most likely spent from a day – or rather lifetime – of yelling. Todd backed off, skittering away and moving again to the center of the huddle.

Had it gotten smaller?

Martin’s eyes were sparkling.

“Anyone else know about your little secret?”

“My–?” Todd eyed the tall man from the side, crossing his arms in an attempt to make himself small in the shrinking huddle. “I… no. Not really. It didn’t seem important.”

One of the Rowdies laughed. It was impossible to tell which one; Todd didn’t know their voices well enough, and he was currently occupied with avoiding the eye contact of all four of them. He didn’t think he could handle that right now. It would be ideal if he could just duck the group altogether, even if that meant jumping through the nearby window. He wanted to talk about this with someone; the thing was, out of all the versions of this conversation that he’d pictured, it was usually with Farah or Dirk or maybe even Amanda. Not The Rowdy Three.

“Not important? You’re like a werewolf man!” Cross tilted his head, the angle just a bit too exaggerated.

“Yeah,” Gripps piped up, “Weren’t you bleedin’ or something weird like that?”

“Don’t remember much how biting works.”

“You’d gotta ask Vogel.”

“Can we ask Vogel?”

“Dunno.”

Todd put his hands up, trying to stop the conversation before it got away from him. Everything was fine. It was fine. He was in control. He was totally _not_ freaking out. Martin spoke up, achieving what Todd was failing to do. Everyone went quiet.

“Being Bitten is a big deal, Brotzman.” Martin’s voice was low and absolute; the kind of tone that demanded you’re complete respect and attention. “You can’t learn this shit on your own, you understand? It don’t work like that.”

Todd found that his voice failed him, but nodded anyway. Martin let out a guttural laugh.

“Good. Don’t worry, we won’t kill you.”

There was an unspoken ‘probably’ that chilled Todd down to the bone. The Rowdy 3 were unnecessarily terrifying, even more so up close. He had never imagined that he would be trapped in a huddle with the group, and he had to say it wasn’t very pleasant.

Vogel, having been listening intently to the conversation, let out a whoop. He threw his fist into the air, jumping up onto the counter after ducking under the grip of his brothers. Todd’s eyes widened and he went to move forward.

“Hey, get off of–”

Gripps grabbed Todd by the collar, pulling him back.

“Hey, wait!” Todd raised his voice as Gripps lifted him off the ground. Martin snorted, pulling Cross off to the side to watch. There was only one way to be initiated into a club as wild as this one; chaos. And if there was one thing The Rowdy 3 were good at, it was causing chaos in excess.

Todd let out a scream of frustration as he watched Vogel break the plate the still held the last uneaten doughnut.

* * *

**How many times can two people actually say the word ‘thing’ in one sitting?**

The trick to not being allowed in a restaurant is to have someone else go in and order for you. Instead of making the long walk to 5th, the small group had simply gone down the street and had Amanda and Beast run in to get the food.

They had all elected to eat in the park near the office as it was a nice day, which were few and far between in rainy Seattle. Besides, it was easier to make sure they didn’t get kicked out of more dining establishments if Dirk and Beast were out in a park. Amanda and Farah sat on the bench and watched as Dirk tried to wrestle the last burger from the bag away from Beast. Farah clicked her tongue and looked over at Amanda, seeming to be about to say something but no sound came out. Amanda watched as Farah’s mouth opened and closed several times before she finally was able to find her words.

“So, that, thing, at the office, with the others. Is that– was that, a thing?” Farah asked, raising an eyebrow knowingly. Amanda wasn’t sure what Farah was getting at, but she had her own suspicions about was currently going on back at the office.

“I mean, ya know, it was just a thing.” Amanda responded.

“Right, a thing.”

“Yup.” They both took drinks of their sodas before Farah started back in.

“It’s just, that I, know a thing. And I was wondering if it’s that same, kind of, thing.” She said watching as Amanda nodded her head.

“It might have been. Depends on the type of, thing.” Amanda paused before turning her body completely towards Farah on the bench, the sounds of Beast beating Dirk for the hamburger sounded quietly in the background.

“What kind of thing?” Amanda pushed.

“Just a thing.”

“Like, a dog thing?” Farah narrowed her eyes.

“Sort of. Is your thing a dog thing?” Farah asked. Amanda nodded slowly, casting a quick glance towards Beast and Dirk. Beast had won the fight and was currently sitting on top of Dirk while she ate the burger.

“Sort of. Sort of.” Amanda said, letting silence fall between the two of them as Dirk’s cries for help went unanswered.

“Does Dirk know about, the thing?” Amanda asked, pointing. Farah shook her head.

“No, no, absolutely not, just me. I think. And even then, I’m not actually supposed to know, the thing. I just, I just know, but he doesn’t, and Dirk doesn’t– no, Dirk doesn’t know.” Farah said, shaking her head lightly and finishing off her soda. Amanda nodded and stood, carefully stretching and turning back towards Farah.

“We should probably get back, make sure everybody is still alive and then, I don’t know after that. I guess it’s up to the boys, cause I mean, well you know. Tonight.” Farah nodded. She did know. She had been keeping track of the days ever since she had figured it out and sure enough, tonight was the night.

“Yeah. Here’s hoping nobody's dead. That’s just, it’s just so much paperwork. Dirk! Beast! Come on!” Farah shouted across the grass. Beast pushed herself off of Dirk and ran quickly over to Amanda’s side. Dirk was a little slower, rising and staring sadly down at his grass stained clothes.

“Farah–”

“No! You do not get to charge another dry cleaning expense to the company. Not after the Tie Incident. You can google how to get grass stains out. Come on.” Farah turned and headed out of the park, trusting that the others were walking behind her. It was only a short distance from the park to the office, and Farah and Amanda led the way, not too sure what they would find when they finally returned.

They had reached the door when the sounds of Todd could be heard from the other side.

“No! Hey! Put me down!” Farah pushed the door opened quickly and was met by not the sight she had been expecting. Vogel was perched atop the reception desk, shards of broken plate and murdered doughnut surrounding him, and was cackling like a hyena. Cross and Martin were sat on the couch, Martin trying not to smile, while Cross was grinning ear to ear. And all of them were watching as Gripps carried Todd, fireman style, around the center of the room.

“Boys!” Amanda shouted, not angrily, but more like an amused parent who had just walked in on their children misbehaving. Gripps spun, almost knocking Todd’s head into his own computer as they spun.

“Dude! Come on! Down! Please!” Todd had wrapped his arms around Gripps’ middle in an attempt stay steady but he still looked rather red. Amanda wondered to herself how long they had been holding him upside down for.

“Gripps, please put him down. Gently!” Amanda added as she saw Gripps begin to smile. He rolled his eyes but carefully lowered to the floor, allowing Todd to fall a shorter distance than if he had been standing.

“Did someone call me?” Dirk asked appearing in the doorway behind Amanda and Farah just as Todd hopped back to his feet. Amanda turned and shook her head.

“No, just telling Gripps not to drop Todd. Speaking of, can I steal Todd away from you guys?” She moved forward and hooked her arm through Todd’s carefully dragging him back towards the kitchen. Martin laughed and waved his hand.

“He’s all yours, Drummer Girl.” A look of panic crossed Todd’s face as Amanda waved back.

“Perfect! We’ll be back in a bit!” Amanda shouted over her shoulder as she shoved Todd through the backdoor of the office.

* * *

**Dirk is completely oblivious**

Todd wasn’t sure what Amanda wanted to talk about, especially if she wasn’t comfortable talking about it back in the office. The look she had shared with Martin had given Todd an uneasy feeling and he tried to think of all of the things it could be.

He knew it wasn’t her birthday, that was still coming up. Perhaps it was something to do with their parents. Amanda had mentioned a while back that she would tell their parents about all of the lying, but he wasn’t sure if she actually had, and Todd spoke so little with his parents that it had yet to come up. But since their father hadn’t murdered Todd, he figured it probably wasn’t that either.

Amanda lead him down the street a little to a small courtyard outside a large office building. It wasn’t much, a couple of trees and a water feature, but there was a bench, and it was relatively quiet in comparison to the city around them.

“Alrighty, sit down, let’s chat.” Amanda said, sitting down with one knee propped up on the bench and turned to face Todd. Todd looked at her, his eyes narrowing, as he lowered himself onto the bench.

“Look, whatever you think is going on–”

“I know.” Amanda said. She didn’t seem mad, quite the opposite, she was softly smiling at him.

“You know?”

“I know.” She repeated.

“You know what?” Todd asked, still not totally sure what they were talking about.

“The whole thing. I’ve known for a while. Well, not your thing, but their thing. And I know that they only get that weird around other, ya’ know.” Todd’s eyes went wide and he could feel his face go red.

Amanda knew.

“Oh, you, you know, about, that.” Todd said, immediately diverting his eyes down to his hands. He hadn’t been sure how he had wanted to tell Amanda, but a part of him knew that he hadn’t wanted her to find out and then tell him that she knew. There just had never been a right time.

A pang of guilt made him sigh as he remembered the last time he had lied to her, about the pararibulitis. She had hated him and rightly so. He deserved the anger and hate that Amanda had felt towards him. But since Wendimoor, they had been getting better. They weren’t great, and they certainly weren’t back to where they had been before, but they had been getting better. And then Todd had been bitten, and he went straight back to the lying, to omitting certain facts, out of fear.

“It’s okay if you need a minute.” Her voice dragged him from his thoughts. He glanced up and was surprised not to see the anger or the hate that had been there the last time. If anything, Amanda looked concerned.

“I just, the last time, I really fucked up, Amanda. And I was so scared this time around, that you would be mad, and that you would hate me for lying and I just fell right back into my same shitty habits. I’ve been lying. And I don’t expect any sort of forgiveness or–”

“Whoa, hey, dude. This is not like last time. Okay? This is not like last time. You didn’t choose to have this happen to you, it just did. And sure, it’s really lame that you didn’t just tell me what was going on, but I get it. It’s a whole thing, and you didn’t know how I was going to react. I’m not mad. Well, I might be a little mad, but that’s more that I had to figure it out by watching you and The Rowdy 3 interact for the first time in months. Which, you have to tell me how that whole thing went, because I need to know.” She laughed lightly, bumping Todd’s hand with the back of hers.

“So let’s start with something easy. How long?” she asked. Todd sighed and looked up, meeting her eyes for the first time since she had started speaking. She was smiling softly at him, waiting for him to be ready.

“Little over three months.” He said, watching as she nodded.

“Good, see? That wasn’t so hard. Have you told anyone?”

“Oh god no!” Todd felt panic constrict his breathing but he had to remind himself that it was okay. Amanda was here, and she knew, and it wasn’t the end of the world.

“Alright. That’s fine. I feel like I should tell you though, I’m pretty sure Farah knows. Just like, so you know.” Todd dropped his head into his hands.

“She knows? How does she– oh my god, the cameras. She installed cameras at the office like two months ago. She must have seen. Oh my god.” He heard Amanda shift and then felt her hand carefully rubbing his back.

“Dude, it’s fine. She does not seem to care.” Todd glanced up at her, the same soft smile still on her face.

“For real. We kind of talked about it at lunch, and she just seems kind of indifferent. More curious than anything else. I think she’s just worried about you. Like Dirk would be if he could put the whole thing together.” Todd sat up quickly and turned towards Amanda.

“Does he know too?”

“No. Dirk is completely oblivious. I promise you.” Amanda said, helping to ease Todd’s nerves slightly.

“Are you sure? If Farah knows then–”

“Dude, I promise, he has no idea. I watched him wrestle Beast to the ground for the last hamburger. And you’ve seen the way he solves cases. If you’ve been careful, he more than likely doesn’t know. He might think something’s up, but he will never guess this.” Amanda said, grabbing hold of Todd’s hand and giving it a tight squeeze.

“It’s all good on the Dirk front. Tell him when you’re ready. However, you might want to tell him soon, cause I feel like the Rowdies are going to be hanging around you more and that’s going to make him suspicious.” Todd swallowed all of his fear and anxiety and was able to give Amanda a quick nod.

“So are we good?” She asked.

“I feel like I should be asking you that.” Todd responded.

“Yeah, we’re good. Oh, I got you this! They had them at the burger place for some reason.” Amanda reached into her pocket and fished out a small red ball. She held it up, a wicked grin on her face. With a quick squeeze, a high pitched squeak filled the air making Todd cringe.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You got me a squeaky toy?” She nodded, shoving the small ball into his hands.

“The first of many. You’re gonna hate me so fast.” She laughed as she stood from the bench, heading back in the direction of the office. Todd looked down at the ball and smiled, shoving it into his jacket pocket before racing after Amanda.

* * *

**She knows that you know that she knows, so she’s gonna make puns**

Amanda and the Rowdies had left a couple hours ago. Only minimal damage had been done to the office but Farah was not pleased. She grumbled softly as she walked about the office checking for damages and filling out a form that helped her track damaged property that would not be covered by insurance.

“Do I need to set up a discretionary fund for when the Rowdies come to visit?” She asked, directing the question at Todd who had been avoiding eye contact with her since returning to the office. Todd opened his mouth to speak but Dirk piped up first from his desk.

“I think it’ll be alright. They only come round every couple of months and they only broke, four things this time.” He said, glancing around at the various broken items, two of which were lamps. Farah sighed and continued to look at Todd, waiting for an answer.

“Um, might not be the worst idea. They mentioned they might swing in more often. Maybe, monthly.” Farah raised her eyebrows, but shrugged looking back down at her form and making some notes.

“Fine by me, I just want to be prepared for whatever happens.” She looked back up at Todd, “Everything. You know?” Todd nodded. She knew. She knew he knew that she knew. But she wasn’t going to say anything because Todd was fairly certain that she just didn’t want to admit the reality of the situation.

Dirk, as Amanda had assumed, seemed oblivious to the whole silent conversation that was happening right in front of him. He, instead, was making his way through an entire bag of gummy bears. Todd realized he wasn’t sure where the gummy bears had come from, but knowing Dirk, probably somewhere Todd didn’t want to know. Dirk was rather good at shoplifting, and Todd just didn’t want to know.

Dirk finished off the bag and tossed it over his shoulder, landing on top of the growing pile of wrappers behind his desk.

“Still on for movie night, Todd?” Todd glanced up and swore to himself. He had completely forgotten that today was Friday. He could remember that the full moon was tonight but somehow, the day of the week had eluded him.

“Um, well–”

“Cause I was thinking a Disney film. You made us watch that ridiculous movie last week, so we get to watch my choice this week.” Dirk said, digging through his desk, presumably in search for more candy.

“First off, Die Hard isn’t ridiculous, it’s a masterpiece. And second, I actually–”

“Whatever keeps you sane.” Dirk had extracted a large chocolate bar from his desk and was frowning down at it. He glanced quickly around the office and breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted the Panic Pete on the shelf. Todd watched as he tore into the candy bar and not for the first time found himself worrying about Dirk’s teeth.

“Okay, well, I don’t think I can tonight.” Todd tried again. He didn’t want to bail on Dirk, but moonrise was at 9:42 and it was already six. Todd wasn’t sure they were going to have enough time to get back to the Ridgely and watch a movie. He was more than not sure. He knew they didn’t have enough time.

“Of course you can, don’t be silly, we do movie night every Friday, what could possibly be different about tonight?” Farah had looked up from her paperwork and was eyeing Todd, who was, of course, not going to say anything because he was terrified. Todd was terrified that Farah knew and that’s Farah, this was Dirk. His friend, his best friend, his, something.

“Well, I just, I mean, we can.” He could hear himself agreeing despite his worries. “We just, we would have to leave now.” Dirk hopped up from his chair, a smile on his face.

“Perfect! Let’s head out. If it’s alright with Farah?” Dirk said, pausing in front of her on his way to the door. Farah gave him a smile and nodded.

“It’s fine with me. It’s Friday. Go have your movie night.” She said, smiling mischievously over at Todd who was glaring daggers at her.

“Wonderful! Come along, Todd!” Dirk was out the door before Todd was even out of his seat. Farah placed her forms down and moved to stand in front of Todd’s desk.

“Movie night tonight, huh?” She said, her grin widening.

“You know it is.”

“I also know it’s a full moon tonight.” She said, never once dropping her gaze.

“It is.” Todd answered, feeling himself tense and hearing his voice drop.

“Just wanted to let you know, in case you didn’t. But you did, so it’s fine.” She still had a smile on her face as she stood up and backed away slightly from the desk.

“Don’t let things get too ruff.” Todd sighed as he stood, grabbing his phone and keys from the desk.

“Very original.” He said heading towards the door after Dirk. He could hear her giggling to herself.

“Don’t let him hound you too much.” She called after him.

“Goodbye Farah.” Todd exited the office and saw Dirk waiting a ways off down the sidewalk. He turned at the sound of Todd’s voice and smiled.

“There you are! Come on, I ordered take-away, it should be ready in about 30 minutes.” Todd caught up with Dirk and all he could think was that the evening was already behind schedule as they headed in the opposite direction of the Ridgely and towards the Chinese restaurant.

* * *

**Why did it have to be Disney?**

They arrived back at the Ridgely just before seven and Todd was beginning to get antsy. Even if Dirk picked a classic Disney movie that was still an hour and a half, which was cutting it close. It would be worse if he picked a newer one, those tended to run closer to two hours. Two hours was too long.

“We can eat and then pick a movie,” Dirk suggested as they entered Todd’s apartment, dropping the bags in the kitchen and going to get plates. Todd felt panic rise in his chest. They needed to start a movie in the next five minutes, not after eating.

“No, it’s okay. How about you pick a movie and I’ll get this ready, and we can eat and watch!” Todd sounded a bit too panicked and Dirk took notice. He glanced up frowning.

“I mean, we can, we just usually do dinner then a movie, but we can do both at the same time no problem.” Dirk left the two plates out that he had grabbed and headed over to Todd’s small collection of DVDs. Todd moved into the kitchen and quickly plated up equal servings of everything and could hear Dirk lightly muttering to himself about whether or not he wanted to do classic or new Disney.

Todd found himself offering a prayer to any god that was listening to encourage Dirk to pick a classic, short film. He’d even sit through Dumbo at this point, as long as it wasn’t anything over two hours.

As Todd was carrying the food into the living room he heard Dirk give a victorious squeak as he grabbed one of the DVDs off the shelf. Todd could see the reflective jacket and knew his hopes of a classic, shorter movie were long dead. All of the gods must have been too busy to answer his very simple request.

“Beauty and the Beast with Hermione. What do you say? It doesn’t matter! It’s my pick this week.” He said, in a sing-song voice heading for the DVD player. Todd was going to argue but Dirk had already popped the movie in and was making his way over to the couch.

“Have you seen this one? I know you own it, but you buy things so that we can watch them, I’ve seen you do this. But anyway, have you seen this one. It’s brilliant! The colors, and the acting, and the singing. All of it, just brilliant!” Dirk had clicked to the main menu and the overture was playing softly. He glanced up at Todd who had made it to the couch and was carefully handing him a plate.

“No, I haven’t seen this one. It’s like 2 hours right?” Todd asked, taking a seat.

“Just over I believe. Good thing it’s Friday and we don’t have work tomorrow.” Dirk said, taking a bite of his fried rice and hitting play on the movie.

“Yeah, no work tomorrow.” Todd stared down at his food suddenly not hungry. He knew he needed to eat, he was about to burn more calories in one night than he did in one month but he just couldn’t bring himself to eat. The sounds of the Enchantress telling the tale of a handsome young prince filled the living room.

Dirk began to hum along to the first song as Todd slowly started to panic.

There were a couple of things that could happen in the next two hours. Todd could figure out how to get out of his apartment and away from Dirk, or he could try to concoct a plan to get Dirk to leave on his own, but Dirk was persistent so that wasn’t going to happen. The Enchantress cursed the castle and Todd couldn’t help but relate.

Perhaps he could tell Dirk. Like Amanda had said, he would probably be okay with it. Probably. But Todd had been lying. For months. Dirk couldn’t possibly be okay with that, no matter the reason. And what happened if Todd did tell him? Did he throw Dirk out so that he could get on with the night? What if Dirk wouldn’t leave?

He couldn't do it. Not tonight. But soon, he told himself.

Surely he would tell him soon.

Todd eventually gave in to his growing hunger and inhaled his food right around the cute song that Belle’s father sings while making the clock. Dirk had a far away look on his face through the whole scene and Todd couldn’t help but wonder what he’s thinking about. Perhaps his own family, but that’s not something that Dirk has ever mentioned to Todd. Todd realized he didn’t really know a lot of the personal facts that people know about their friends about Dirk. Dirk sighed as the song came to an end and looked over, noticing Todd staring.

“You’re not watching! Watch the movie!” Dirk hissed, nudging Todd with his shoulder. Todd gave a quick smile and turned back towards the screen. They stayed like that for quite some time, Dirk occasionally humming and Todd trying to control his panic as the minutes clicked closer to 9:42.

They made it all the way to the song Days in the Sun before Todd noticed the increase in anxiety. He glanced over at Dirk who had tensed as soon as young Prince Adam came on screen, and small tears threatened to break through as the song began. Without thinking, Todd scooted closer so that his side was brushing up against Dirk’s. Dirk started at the contact, but didn’t move away, instead he sank into the contact, relaxing a little further into the couch.

And there they stayed right up until Beauty and the Beast. Mrs. Potts faded out and Belle and the Beast went out onto the balcony to have a chat but Todd wasn’t listening to that. He was focused on two other things going on at once. Dirk had leaned his head on Todd’s shoulder about fifteen minutes prior and had yet to move and Todd didn’t mind, he didn’t, but there was an odd warmth in his chest that was growing the more time that passed with Dirk resting his head on Todd’s shoulder.

The second, was the sound of a very loud van pulling up. Dirk didn’t take notice of the van arriving, as he was too engaged with the movie, but Todd did. He looked towards the window and then towards the door. He could hear them. Coming up the stairs and headed right towards his door.

The Beast let Belle leave and had just started in on Evermore when the door burst open. Dirk sat straight up and looked towards the door, curses leaving him before he focused on the person.

“Martin? What are you doing here?” Dirk asked as the music began to swell in the background. Martin crossed the room in a few quick strides and grabbed Todd around the middle before Todd could move to stop him.

“Sorry, Brit. We need shortstop for a thing.” Martin threw Todd over his shoulder and headed back to the door.

“What? No! Put me down! Come on!” Todd shouted, beating on Martin’s back with no luck.

“Todd?” Dirk was still on the couch, the movie blasting Evermore into the living room.

_Now I know she'll never leave me_

_Even as she fades from view_

The lyrics were the last thing Todd heard as he was carried quickly out of his apartment and down the stairs. Amanda was at the base of the stairs on her way up with Beast right behind, a goofy grin on her face.

“Don’t worry, I’ll watch Dirk. Have fun boys!” She shouted over her shoulder as she and Beast bounced up the stairs.

“Amanda!” Todd shouted but it was useless. Martin and Todd were out the door and to the van in a matter of moments. Martin tossed Todd into the van like a sack of potatoes and slammed the door closed. The other Rowdies hovered around Todd, all wearing the same crazy grin.

“There’s the pup! We’re gonna get wild tonight!” Vogel howled as the van started up and tore away from the Ridgely.

* * *

**In which Todd is kidnapped by crazy werewolves**

The van bounced wildy and Todd, who had never properly ridden in it before, struggled to steady himself. The Rowdies didn’t help; it was only until Todd had fallen straight onto Vogel did they offer any assistance besides laughter. Vogel, seeing this as play, tackled Todd in kind. This was the second time in twenty four hours that Todd had been thrown to the ground by Vogel, and if it happened again, he was going to need to go and hide in a box of shame for a few hours.

Todd ducked under Vogel’s arms, retreating to the corner of the van behind the passenger seat. Next to him, Martin glanced back from his place in the driver's seat. Many things could be said about the chaotic oldest Rowdy, but he knew well enough to focus on his driving when he was in the driver's seat.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t comment, though.

“Calm down, wolf boy. Ain’t nothing gonna happen to you.”

“Little Pup is nervous!” Vogel piped up, his voice cracking with the high pitch.

Todd wasn’t an empath, and he certainly couldn’t do what the Rowdies could. Even so, he could feel the manic energy bouncing around the van. It made the heat that had been building in Todd’s chest bubble up, threatening to overtake him. It wasn’t a bad feeling; on the contrary, it was purely animalistic.

There wasn’t long before the moon rose over the horizon.

“Man, what _is_ that?!” Vogel looked over what Todd was wearing, his face contorting into a confused smile.

“What?”

“You’re shirt man! It’s all yellow and bright!”

“My flannel?”

Vogel jumped forward, grabbing the loose fabric and investigating the bright color. The flannel hadn’t actually been Todd’s taste, to be honest. Dirk had bought it for him after the Stolen Star case, and Todd, well, he’d worn it. A lot. It made him look a bit tacky, but the adorable look on Dirk’s face was usually worth it.

Shit. Not adorable. _Not_.

Todd shifted uncomfortably. Three out of the four Rowdies were still staring at him. Vogel in fact was still holding his flannel. Todd glanced down at the awe on the young man’s face. It _was_ awe, Todd realized with surprise. None of the usual insane qualities that Vogel usually wore on his face were showing; it was pure and simple wonder at the fluorescent yellow on the shirt. Vogel had suddenly become much younger looking than Todd had ever seen.

He’d thought he’d seen glimpses of these kinds of things before. Little whispers between The Rowdy 3 and Amanda when they thought no one was looking; directing a tired Vogel to the van after a day of wrecking the Agency; that one time during the early summer months, when Amanda had come back to the office with boxes of ice cream for the boys.

Todd felt himself releasing his tensed muscles a bit. It was inevitable. They were terrifying, but Martin may have been right when they spoke earlier in the day. He wouldn’t die.

Probably.

“What kind of music we after, boys?” Martin leaned his head back, a gesture to the boys in the back. It was their favorite part of any van ride; it was time to find a radio station. Vogel jumped in first, eager to get in the first word.

“Can we do that cool old stuff, Martin!?”

“That 80s shit?” Gripps looked at Vogel. Cross stuck out his tongue, reminding Todd of a rather bored child.

“Ain’t too bad.”

“We listened to it last time, Cross.”

“So?”

Their voices overlapped, all creating one big explosion of sound inside the van itself. Vogel had let go of Todd’s flannel, the shirt all but forgotten in favour of the newest development. Todd retreated further into the corner; maybe if he tried hard enough, he’d fall out onto the road. It was likely that, if he did, they probably wouldn’t notice.

He could dream.

“You got any music ideas, Pup?” Gripps asked, turning to look over at Todd.

Todd opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He was going to have to stop them from calling him that before Amanda found out, or else he wouldn’t hear the end of it. He could see the Christmas cards now.

The Rowdies had all turned to him, their gazes making Todd feel as if he was going to be burned alive right on the spot. He tried again, opening his mouth once more. All he managed, however, was a pitiful sound of uncertainty. Vogel’s face scrunched up.

“What’s your deal, man!? Don’t you like any music?”

“Has a guitar. Maybe he don’t use it.”

“Hey Pup, you play that guitar?”

“Drummer says he taught her to play drums–”

“Hey!” Todd raised his voice, making even himself jump. He couldn’t let this get away from him. He was _good_. He was fine. Todd pushed himself upright, straightening his back in an attempt to seem less like a frustrated child.

“I can play just– just fine, okay? I’m fine. I know how to play it.”

He tugged at his collar; the van had been getting hotter and hotter during the last couple of minutes, and it was likely that he’d have to take his flannel off soon. This part of the full moon, the sweltering heat, was in his opinion the worst part of the whole deal. Unbuttoning his sleeves, he rolled them up and Cross grinned wickedly.

“Getting hot?” He leaned in, motioning Vogel over as he addressed Todd. Vogel crawled away from Todd to the older Rowdy with unnerving speed, and Cross began to help him out of his jacket. “You bitten lot get real hot before the moon. Gets real bad for Vogel.”

He was right. It was difficult to notice in the dimming light – or maybe Todd just hadn’t bothered to look – but Vogel had started to sweat the same as Todd. His face was flushed, giving him the illusion of looking even younger; not that Todd knew the actual number. Vogel grinned up at Cross.

“Can we go smash some stuff, Cross?”

Todd was reminded of a child asking their parent for permission. It was shaping up to be one of the strangest nights of his life, and that was including the time that he got sent to another dimension. Whoever thought The Rowdy 3 could be more than the insane personas they usually put on?

“Not now, Vogel.” Martin spoke up from the front seat. “Gotta wait ‘til after the moon, you know that.”

Vogel exhaled sharply. Undeterred, he turned back to Todd.

“You ever smash stuff?!”

Todd stared which seemed to translate to Vogel as an unspoken welcome to drag him further into the conversation.

“We went to this big place once! There were all these like, mega rude people there! Gripps took my hands and he like, whoosh, threw me across the room man!” Vogel was bouncing with energy, using the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his hands. “It was all kinds of wild! They all ran away screaming!”

“Vogel’s real light. Makes a great cannon.”

“Cannon?”

“Yeah. Like pirates.”

Vogel looked from Todd to Cross, his eyebrows arching up. Todd barely even noticed this; he was beginning to feel as if he was going to melt out of his clothes altogether. That is, if he didn’t die of heatstroke first. Martin seemed to be catching on to this, and he reached over to tug at the collar of Todd’s flannel.

“Gonna wanna take that off, Brotzman. Ain’t gonna get any cooler ‘round here.”

He sighed, defeated. It was near impossible to move around in the back of the van without bumping an arm into someone, and this made taking off a button up rather awkward. The relief of having some of the cool air from the open windows upfront hit his bare arms was well worth it though. It was such a nice feeling against his skin that Todd didn’t even notice as Gripps threw the flannel into the far corner.

“What’s that?” Vogel pointed at Todd’s Mexican Funeral shirt. The laundry had been put off for at least two weeks, and this had been one of the only clean shirts left that he owned.

Farah had gotten in the habit of texting him when she was doing her laundry, which had started after Dirk had worn the same shirt four days in a row. But Todd hadn’t received any messages in the last two weeks, which was understandable considering the aliens. As it turned out, Farah was just as bad at remembering basic human needs when under the threat of alien incursion as Todd and Dirk.

“Oh, uh…” Todd trailed off, avoiding eye contact with the three men. It was harder than it would seem. “It’s my old band, I guess.”

Predictably, this brought on another round of explosive and intertwining voices. Todd crossed his arms as the Rowdies let out exclamations of surprise, praise, and excitement. He was still alive; The Rowdies weren’t half as hard as he’d previously thought.

The van came to a screeching halt, and the four men in the back put out their hands to steady themselves. The van went quiet; the manic energy had suddenly come to a boil, and threatened to overwhelm them all.

“We’re here, boys.” Martin turned off the engine, not bothering to take them fully out of the ignition before climbing out. The van door was pulled open, and The Rowdy 3 piled into the outside world. They had driven straight into a forest; it would have been concerning if not for the moon coming up.

There wasn’t long now. Todd figured they must have been gone for about half an hour and he hadn’t had time to grab his phone before he’d left, so he had no way of knowing if Dirk was okay. God, he was probably pissed. How was he supposed to explain this? He couldn’t tell him the truth; not yet.

The aged trees surrounding the group moaned in the wind, creating an eerie feeling in the light of dusk. It almost looked haunted, like a ghost was going to pop out from behind one of gnarled evergreen trunks. Todd wasn’t really in the mood to deal with another ghost after the last time, so instead kept his gaze focused on The Rowdy 3. Vogel had climbed Gripps’ shoulders, and was now attempting to jump onto Cross from the height he was at. Cross didn’t seem to be having it; he was ducking behind trees and making Gripps stumble.

They looked like they were having the time of their lives.

“Brotzman.” Martin was leaning against the side of the van, staring at Todd over the top of his glasses. Todd didn’t respond, but turned to face him all the same. He gave a pointed look to the drivers seat, which still had its door open. Todd’s leg bounced uncomfortably, but the thirty seconds of Martin’s staring had already been enough. He walked over, climbing into the seat.

Martin leaned into the door, taking a cigarette out of his pocket.

“You gotta stop with that anxiety.” Martin spoke quietly; the other Rowdies wouldn’t be able to hear him. This conversation was very clearly for Todd and him alone. Todd looked up in surprise.

“What? I’m not–”

“I think you forgot, we feed off of fear.” Martin paused, looking into Todd’s face. “We can smell your anxiety, your fear. And you got a lot of it.”

The oldest Rowdy crossed his arms, this time stopping long enough for Todd to get a word in.

“I’m not. Listen. I’m fine, okay? I’m just–”

“Scared. You’re mighty scared, Brotzman.” Martin leaned in. “Scared of us. Scared of the moon. Scared of someone finding out. It ain’t abnormal. But you can’t ignore it. You can’t hide it from the world. Ain’t how it works.”

Todd avoided Martin’s gaze, staring determinedly at the track marks in the forest floor. He was just being cautious. It wasn’t like there was anyone to help him with this. This was his own problem, and he was alone in it. His hands squeezed the worn leather seats as he bit his own tongue. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have. Not with Martin at least, the man who had quite literally wrecked his apartment on more than one occasion.

“Don’t matter,” Martin said, straightening back up. “Vogel likes you. Can’t get rid of us now.”

Todd’s skin began to crawl as the heat built. The moon would be up soon.

“Reach in that space there. You’re gonna die of heat before the moon even rises.”

Todd didn’t object; he felt like he was dying. The water bottle stored in the door was warm, but that didn’t stop him from inhaling the whole thing in one gulp. He gasped for air after he was finished, looking at the empty bottle with what could almost be read as disappointment. He didn’t have time to dwell on it. Martin was already pulling him – quite literally – away from the van and towards the others.

“C’mon. The Moon’s coming soon. You gotta work up some energy.”

The heat in Todd’s chest was screaming at him. The full moon was upon them.

* * *

**Why did they have to be watermelon?**

Todd woke up sore. He always woke up sore. But the next morning was probably the worst it had been since his first shift.

Todd came to lying on his side, covered in a blanket and not too far from the sounds of the other Rowdies. There was the usual banging noises that came with putting things in proximity to the Rowdies, but the usual yelling was instead replaced with the chatter of a slow, tired morning. It was no wonder; a lot of energy had been spent the night before.

Todd perched up on his elbows, eyeing the blanket covering him. It was tattered with wear, and he wasn’t sure that the color, an old green, was what it had been originally. It was beyond him which Rowdy it belonged too, but that detail didn’t particularly matter; he appreciated the gesture all the same. It had certainly not been there when he went to sleep.

Speaking of, he had no way to tell the time of day. Even the sun was blocked by the canopy of trees. He laid still in the slanting sun rays for a few minutes, taking a moment to just have a rest after the night before.

Todd couldn’t stay there forever though. He heaved himself up, grunting as he pulled himself to his feet, the blanket in his hand. He went to pat off his shirt, wanting to get as many leaves off as he could.

Oh.

_Oh._

Todd hastily wrapped the blanket around his waist, searching his surroundings for anyone who might have seen something so unholy. This was the worst moment of his life, it had to be.

Had the Rowdies really not left him any clothes to change into?

His face heated up. He’d have to walk over to get something to wear, but he knew that this was one of the first things that The Rowdy 3 would tell Amanda when they saw her again. He really was never going to be able to live this weekend down, was he? He sighed; there was no other choice. He gathered up what little pride he had and walked into the camp that had been set up.

“Pup’s up!” Gripps barked loudly as Todd shuffled into the camp, lifting his hand to welcome him to the waking world.

“Can we just, not, with the Pup stuff?” Todd asked. He was met by a cacophony of laughter as Martin slapped him on the back.

“No can do Pup.”

Todd groaned, glancing over to Vogel, who was currently dressed in a blanket and two different jackets. Evidently, he had not woken up enough to find something satisfactory to wear. This point was emphasized by the fact that the two jackets belonged to Cross and Martin.

“I am literally older than him,” Todd said, pointing at Vogel. Vogel grinned, acknowledging Todd.

“You’re the newest member of the Spooky Wolf Club!” Gripps took a sip of his rather questionable drink. “Do we have t-shirts? We should have t-shirts. Martin, I’m making t-shirts.”

“You do that, Gripps. I’m getting the Brotzman pup something to wear.” Martin led Todd to the van, where there was a pile of clothes that seems to have been pulled down from the roof. This was supported by the usually tied up packages from the top of the van currently being strewn across the floor. “Some stuff here for you. Don’t know your size.”

Martin sauntered off to the others, leaving Todd and his blanket to find some suitable clothes. He climbed into the van for some privacy; the biggest priority at the moment was a pair of pants.

Turns out that the bag of mismatched clothes had no shortage of things to wear, but they all seemed to be too big and too long for Todd. The shirts all seemed to drown him, and the pants would have been impossible to walk in. Thankfully, Vogel seemed to have a thing for skinny jeans, and Todd eventually found a pair that fit him well enough to be presentable. He would still have to roll up the ends several times, though.

His hand slipped on a piece of fabric as he leaned back. He stumbled away, making a noise too loud for even the gods to ignore, and saw his flannel from the night before.

Thank God. It must have been left there when he took it off. Todd swiped it up, pulling his arms through it. He paused before he buttoned it up, his fingertips tingling and his heart buzzing for a split second.

It smelled like Dirk.

He blinked, his head still spinning. He had been leaning up against Dirk for at least an hour last night before the Rowdies had kidnapped him; what had he expected? Moreover, why did he _enjoy_ it so much?

He shook his head and scrambled out of the van, away from the question.

“Yo Pup, you hungry?” Cross called to Todd from over by the fire, where it appeared that they had conjured up pop tarts from somewhere. Todd hadn’t even known they had had food in the van, so it was impossible to tell where they pulled it from. Todd nodded, sighing as he was called that godawful nickname again. The fire was warm; after last nights near heatstroke though, he kept his distance.

Apparently, The Rowdy 3 really dug Watermelon poptarts.

Todd screwed up his nose as the taste hit his mouth, but didn’t stop eating. He felt ravenous after last night, and knew that he would need to eat a lot in the next few days to make up for it. It wasn’t too bad once you got past the fact that the texture of pop tarts was entirely, unnervingly wrong for the taste of watermelon. He could do with one of the microwavable meals from his kitchen that Dirk had bought right about now.

Vogel was sitting opposite Todd, his eyes glazed over serenely as he stared into the fire. Todd slowed his chewing as he looked him up and down; the younger man looked like a trainwreck.

“Are you… okay?” Todd directed his question at Vogel, who looked as if he had been emptied of any and all energy. For a Rowdy, that was more than alarming. It was cause for the end of the world.

“He’s tired.” Cross said, glancing up from his pop tart box.

“Super. Way tired,” said Gripps, taking a long draw from his drink. Todd noticed that he wasn’t eating. Martin leaned into Todd, speaking only to him.

“Vogel’s been having trouble sleeping since Wendimoor. It’s made his transformations hard.” He said, gazing at Vogel. The boy indeed looked overtired. More now than ever, the bags under his eyes were too pronounced for comfort. He was curled into himself, the two jackets wrapped tightly around his torso.

“Oh.” Todd frowned. “Is he going to like, get sleep?”

Martin shrugged, giving a pointed look at Vogel. Looking again, Todd could see why. He was beginning to nod off where he was. Cross made brief eye contact with Martin, and he nodded.

“Yup. Come on, kid. Nap time.”

Cross stood up, ushering a stumbling Vogel to the van.

It was such a different scene than Todd was accustomed to. Usually, any moment spent around The Rowdy 3 was more often than not spent in chaos, and it always resulted in a hefty repair bill. All of that shouting, breaking, and manic energy was replaced with something, Todd couldn’t find the words for it. It was almost domestic. He could see why Amanda had grown so close to them; it was the perfect environment for her.

“So,” Martin said, straightening up placing his pop tart on his lap, “You and that brit looked like you were having fun last night.”

“What? Dirk?” Todd asked, frowning.

“That’s his name.”

“Uh. Yeah, I guess. We were watching a movie.”

A grin spread across Martin’s face. Todd didn’t fail to notice the way that Gripps and he had exchanged brief identical glances.

“You watch movies together? A lot, like?” Gripps joined in the conversation now.

“Yeah, I mean. I mean of course we do. It’s not like a new thing or whatever.”

Gripps let out a snicker, bringing his drink back up to his mouth. His eyes were sparkling, and he looked slightly insane as he tried to choke the drink down without laughing.

“Man. Can’t believe you Bonded with the Brit. So lame.”

“Bonded?”

Todd resisted the urge to look to Martin for answers. He was much more comfortable talking to him after the moon last night, and he knew that the tall Rowdy would provide help without prompting. He was the pack leader for a reason; though Amanda called him the ‘Dad Friend’. Todd realized with a groan that he had most certainly become part of their weird little wolf pack. Couldn't he have anything nice?

“Bonding with someone’s sort of like… dating. Except you’re in love until you both die. The Rowdies and I don’t have time for that sort of thing.” Todd choked on the piece of poptart in his mouth.

“Woah! Wait! I’m not. We aren’t. That’s not–”

“Sure, little Pup.” Martin rumbled, his chest vibrating with the laughter. “We ain’t stupid you know.”

Todd laughed nervously. They were wrong, obviously; they had to be. He didn’t like Dirk. Sure, he liked to spend time around him, and listen to him laugh when someone told a joke. His constant ramblings had slowly begun to go from plain annoying to a tad endearing, yeah, but that didn’t mean anything. Dirk was just a great man, with fun hair and a playful smile and a great smell and…

Todd ran his hand over his left sleeve, where the majority of Dirk’s scent was.

They were wrong. Todd wasn’t going to risk his friendship with Dirk over something like this. The only question was, what was ‘this’? The look on Martin’s face made Todd question if he truly knew the answer.

Todd continued through his poptart as he contemplated the ramifications of what it could mean to like Dirk Gently. He was sure he didn’t, but there was a small part of him, right around his chest, that said ‘are you sure?’ Martin pulled him from his thoughts after about half an hour.

“Alright, Pup. We’re heading back. Let’s go.” Todd climbed in with the rest of them and sat quietly as the van rumbled back towards civilization. Vogel was still wrapped tight in blankets and jackets and was sound asleep on the floor, with no possibility of waking soon. It didn’t take long before they were back to the Ridgely and Todd was hopping out.

“Hey.” Martin said, drawing Todd’s attention.

“You’re one of us now. See you in a month. Tell your sister to hurry on down with Rainbow Girl.” Todd nodded and headed inside. He felt tired beyond belief, but also confused, Dirk still heavily on his mind.

He made it back to his apartment and sighed as he realized that Martin had broken the door when he kicked it open the day before. He found Beast asleep in a tight ball of blankets on his couch while Amanda was passed out on the bed.

“Hey,” Todd said quietly, gently shaking Amanda awake. She blinked up at him and smiled.

“Hey, you’re not dead.” Todd nodded and smiled.

“Yeah, the guys are waiting for you two.” Amanda nodded and sat up.

“Beast! Boys are back.” Beast sat straight up and fell off the couch. She hopped up quickly and moved over to Amanda who had stood and collected her jacket.

“Well, I guess see you in a month right?” She asked, smiling. Todd nodded as he walked her and Beast to the door.

“Oh, and Dirk is like super confused, just FYI.” she said, turning in the hall so that she was looking back into the apartment. “You definitely owe him a nice dinner date. Something out and fancy.” Todd was going to argue but they were already walking down the hall.

“Later, loser!” Amanda called with a wave as they disappeared around the corner. Todd sighed as he closed the door, shoving a chair in front of it to hopefully deter burglars. He walked the short distance to his bed and collapsed, not even bothering with his clothes. He would deal with all of his problems, he would. He would just deal with them tomorrow.

* * *

_**June** _

**The worst house party ever**

Todd just didn’t know how to explain to Dirk why he was currently hosting all six of the Rowdies in his apartment.

Dirk had called about thirty minutes ago, rambling on about this _excellent_ new tea brand he’d discovered, and how Todd just had to try some. Todd had barely even been able to understand what he’d been saying through the muffled audio of his phone; Beast had accidentally cracked it rather badly after she’d arrived with the rest of the boys. Amanda hadn’t told her off for it, but she did quiet her down after that.

Of course, she had come packed with five new squeaky toys for Todd.

He had quite the collection at this point. Some of them even looked designer, which brought up the alarming question how and where Amanda had gotten them in the first place. He never got a straight answer though. The only real saving grace was that they kept Beast – and some of the Rowdies – occupied when they came over.

The Rowdy 3 really had no shame.

“Who was that?” Vogel shouted over from his corner, where he had arranged the beanbags into a fortress. Todd sighed, putting his phone on the coffee table. He glanced at Amanda.

“Uh. Dirk. He wants to come over.” Todd paused. “And make tea.”

“How british,” Gripps yelled. He threw a lightbulb at Vogel for him to catch.

“Leave him out of this,” Todd muttered. “This is going to be hard enough to explain.”

Martin put out his cigarette, throwing it into the ashtray that Todd had to have delivered overnight. It was a necessary accommodation; Martin had made it rather clear on his arrival that they would all be around until the full moon in a few days. It was a wonder how smoking hadn’t affected his health by now. Before the man could say anything, however, Todd put his hand up.

“Don’t. We’re not having this discussion.” He side-eyed Martin, who was grinning like a madman.

“Haven’t said nothing, Pup.”

“You were thinking it.”

“Hey,” Amanda said, leaning forward to steal Todd’s drink, “All dogfighting happens outside. I’m watching a show.”

Todd exhaled, staring longingly at the coffee now in Amanda’s hand. It was only nine in the morning; why was everyone he knew such morning people? The Rowdies and Dirk he could understand, but Amanda used to hate the mornings with a passion to be rivaled. She’d changed a lot since she’d started travelling with the Rowdies.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. Just say you’re throwing a house party or something.”

“For The Rowdy 3?”

Amanda paused, smirking.

“Good point.”

The television was blaring at an obnoxious level; Todd was going to be receiving several noise complaints. Not that he wasn’t already. The Rowdies had only been there four hours, but had already managed to break a lamp while trying to be ‘quiet’ under Amanda’s instructions. He was probably going to be kicked out by the time the weekend was over.

“Can’t you all just, go hang in the van or something? I don’t want to have to lie to Dirk right now.” Tod hunched over, leaning on his elbows.

“You could just like, talk to him about it. He’d be cool with it it.”

Todd glared at his sister, who put her hands up in defeat. She smiled the same smile that the Rowdies used; she’d picked it up as of late. Todd suspected that it was something they did to bare their teeth.

Well, _he_ certainly wasn’t going to do that.

“Why doesn’t he hang with us?!” Vogel said, placing the squeaky toys that Beast was handing him on the beanbags like sentries. “We’re cool.”

“Way cool.”

“Cooler than him.”

“Cross. Gripps.” Martin silenced the others before they got too loud; if they were at their usual volume, someone would have called the police already. Even at this volume, it was still deafening. He turned to Todd. “Brit can stay if you want him to. We won’t mind.”

“I don’t. Mind. I mean, I do but. He can’t stay with us. You’re going to tell him... something.”

Martin exchanged a wicked grin with Amanda. She let out a quiet laugh.

“Tell him what? That you’re _bonded_ with-”

“Amanda!”

The Rowdies howled with laughter, making Todd sink into his couch. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could disappear. It didn’t provide much in the way of shelter; the couch was cheap, and none too comfortable to sit on. It didn’t matter, though. He knew that he would probably have to buy a new one after the Rowdies had left.

Cross sat up straight, his eyes searching for something. They were just flitting wildly through the air.

Oh. Todd could smell it too. It smelled _nice._ Familiar.

“Brit’s here.”

Todd groaned, swearing under his breath. He sank further into the couch; this was spiraling out of control. Martin leaned into him.

“Little bonded buddy’s here.”

The door opened just as Todd’s face went red. He swiveled around, panicked.

“Todd! I brought the– um–” Dirk faltered in the doorstep, looking around. All six Rowdies turned to face him. He blanched.

Could this day get any worse?

* * *

**Todd is the beast, which makes Dirk the beauty**

Dirk had no idea what was going on.

For the better part of a month Todd had been receiving gifts from Amanda at least twice a week and Farah was making sure he opened them, taking pictures which she then sent off to Amanda to prove that Todd had in fact opened the presents. The receiving of presents wasn’t in itself odd, however it wasn’t Todd’s birthday. What struck Dirk as odd was the presents themselves. Amanda had been sending Todd squeaky toys. All kinds. She had sent at least three bouncy squeaky balls, a small fuzzy raccoon, two that looked like spaceships, a Space Needle, a small snow covered mountain, and three different hamburgers. The only thing they all had in common was that they squeaked.

Dirk hadn’t known how to ask about the toys. He wasn’t sure if it was some sort of inside joke, or if it was an American custom he had somehow missed, but something told him it was odd. What was even odder, was The Rowdy 3.

Just like Todd had predicted The Rowdy 3 had shown up at the office a couple days prior and began hanging around. Farah had told them that if they broke anything Amanda would be paying for it and so they sat, for the most part quietly, around Todd. Vogel had taken to messing with the squeaky toys that littered Todd’s desk while Cross and Gripps lounged on the couch. Martin typically stood near, or sat next to Todd, occasionally whispering things that Dirk couldn’t quite hear.

He had asked Farah about their return but she just shook her head and walked away muttering about broken lamps and Todd wussing out of things he should be talking about. And that left Dirk even more confused and, honestly, a little scared to ask Martin why the group had returned.

This confusion culminated in a strange occurrence from a couple days before. Dirk had gotten ahold of a new tea flavour, and naturally he had gone straight to Todd’s to taste test it with him. By the time he’d arrived though, all six of The Rowdy 3 were camping in his apartment. Martin was mumbling something into Todd’s ear that had made Todd’s face go a very dark shade of red and his eyes went huge when Dirk appeared in the doorway.

“Dirk!” Todd’s voice had cracked as he tried to push out of Martin’s space. Martin turned slowly, a grin on his face and then he looked back at Todd.

“Food for thought,” he said, exchanging a look with Amanda before resting his feet on the coffee table.

“Morning Brit.” Martin smiled, nodding at Dirk as he had walked into the apartment. Todd was hunched into the couch, avoiding eye contact like it would somehow save his life. Dirk had been too confused to ask what had just happened so he let it go. Todd obviously didn’t want to talk about it.

And Dirk had been content to ignore the strange happenings. That was until this morning.

He had woken up unusually early and was lying in bed staring at the ceiling wondering what they could have been talking about. What had made Todd so uncomfortable that he couldn’t even look at Dirk for the entire first half of the day? And more importantly, when had Todd become so chummy with The Rowdy 3?

Dirk felt his chest tighten. He wasn’t new to jealousy, he knew the feeling. He just never expected the feeling to be directed towards Todd. Was he jealous of Todd? No, that wasn’t right. He was jealous about Todd. Jealous that the Rowdies seemed to know something that he didn’t and just a little hurt that Todd hadn’t told him.

Maybe Todd had told him.

He tried to think back to when all the odd behavior had first began. He seemed to recall an odd interaction the last time the Rowdies had been in town, and he certainly remembered Martin kidnapping Todd. But they hadn’t talked about it. In fact, Dirk hadn’t seen Todd for the entire rest of that weekend. Which was certainly odd. He added the observation to his list.

And the squeaky toys, those were odd as well. He added them to the list and felt a frown form on his face. What did The Rowdy 3 and squeaky toys have to do with anything?

Dirk’s phone chimed on his bedside table drawing him from his thoughts. Farah was texting him.

‘Todd’s gonna be a little late this morning. Do you mind picking up the doughnuts? And maybe an extra espresso for Todd? He could use the treat.’

Fantastic idea, Farah! Dirk sat up and shot off a quick reply of not a problem. This was perfect. Dirk would be able to give Todd his coffee and maybe he would be able to ask about the odd things he had listed. Certainly Todd would be more open over coffee.

Dirk dressed quickly and made his way towards the doughnut shop. Today was the day he got to the bottom of the mystery. He walked in through the doors and looked up.

For a moment he wasn’t sure what had happened. This certainly wasn’t the doughnut shop. The walls were lined with brightly colored dog beds, and cat towers, and other pet items. He glanced around and sadly caught the eye of the owner. She smiled at him and waved.

“Hey hun. Anything I can help you find?” He was about to say no when he found himself walking further into the store.

“Can you point me towards your squeaky toys?” He asked, giving her a warm smile. She nodded and pointed just a little further into the store.

“Right over there. Let me know if you need any help.” Dirk walked towards the aisle and was struck by the amount of different kinds there were. Dirk had never had a dog, he had owned a cat, but in reality it was more of a neighborhood cat that he fed. And then there was of course the kitten-shark, but that was a shark, not a cat.

Dirk found himself staring at all of the different options with a growing feeling of confusion. Why was he there? Was the universe telling him to get a dog? Why would the universe want him to get a dog? Maybe he would need a guard dog? But guard against–

Rainbow.

Peeking out from behind a small fuzzy hamburger was something soft and covered in rainbow stripes. Dirk reached down and pulled the toy from the pile. It was a medium sized heart, about the size of his hand, and it was rainbow instead of the traditional red. Dirk smiled down at it and found himself back at the counter.

“Find what you’re looking for?” The woman asked. Dirk nodded, looking down at her name tag quickly before looking back up.

“I did. Thank you for asking Bernice.” She smiled and rang up the toy, placing it into a plain paper bag.

“Is it for your dog?”

“No, my friend.” That was a weird answer, even Dirk knew it.

“Oh, it’s for you friend’s dog?” She asked.

“Yes. That’s it. My friend’s dog.” Why was he still talking? Take the bag and go!

“What kind of dog?” She continued. Dirk briefly wondered if there was some sort of test that all people had to pass while buying pet toys. Why did this woman want to know so much about his friend’s nonexistent dog?

“A chihuahua.” It was the only dog breed Dirk knew for sure.

“Oh that’s cute! They’re so tiny and think they’re bigger than they actually are.” She finally handed over the bag, still smiling at him. Dirk felt his face flush and he was sure his ears were far redder than they had been.

“Yes. Very small. Very aggressive. It’s adorable. Thank you!” He headed out the door before she could ask him more questions about the fake dog. He just needed to get to the doughnut shop and then get to the office. The rest of his walk went off without incident. He made it to the shop, he grabbed the coffee, and he made it to the office all before nine. Unfortunately, he hadn’t beaten Todd to the office.

Todd was sitting in his chair looking down at another insurance form and silently mouthing the words to himself as he read. Farah glanced up at the sound of the door and frowned at Dirk.

“Sorry, I’m late. There was this woman who kept asking me all these questions. It’s fine though. I bring coffee and doughnuts!” Dirk said smiling, walking over to Farah and handing her her coffee and the bear claw she always requested.

“It’s no problem.” She said, standing and leaning in a little towards Dirk. “Just, keep the volume down a bit, he’s got a headache.”

“He can hear you.” came Todd’s clipped reply from his desk. Farah glanced over Dirk’s shoulder and sighed.

“I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” She said, tucking her laptop under her arm and disappearing into the back. Dirk spun to face Todd who still hadn’t looked up from the form he was reading on his desk.

“Another insurance form?” Dirk asked, moving forward and placing the doughnuts and coffee on Todd’s desk. He glanced quickly at the random assortment of squeaky toys and couldn’t help but think the new one would look nice with the collection.

“Yeah. There seems to be a form for everything. Always filling out forms these days.” Todd said, moving his pen to make a mark but stopping and frowning down at the page, rereading the sentence he had just read in an attempt to better understand the question.

“So it seems. Oh, so, um. I got you something.” Dirk said, holding up the paper bag carefully and smiling down at Todd. Todd glanced up and his frown deepened. Dirk hadn’t noticed when he walked in but the bags under Todd’s eyes had sorely increased, it looked almost like he had been punched in the nose. Dirk was going to ask if he was okay when Todd spoke.

“You got me something other than coffee and doughnuts?” It wasn’t anger, or annoyance. If Dirk didn’t know any better it sounded more like fear. Was Todd afraid of what was in the bag?

“Yes. I was on my way to the doughnut shop, when I found myself in a different shop. And I saw this and thought that it would look really nice with your others. I mean, I’ve never really asked, but it seems like you collect them so,” Dirk had pulled out the small rainbow heart and held it out to Todd. Dirk wasn’t sure what he had expected when he handed Todd the toy, certainly not for Todd to jump backwards like Dirk had just shoved a cross in the face of a vampire.

“Is that a squeaky toy?” Todd shouted. His eyes had gone wide and Dirk realized that Todd’s breathing had increased. How could the toy have given Todd a panic attack?

“I, well, yes. You collect them don’t you? Your sister–”

“Amanda? Oh my god! She told you? I can’t believe it! She promised she wouldn’t!” Todd looked about ready to bolt. He had backed himself into the corner and was quickly shaking his head back and forth.

“She said that I could tell you. When I was ready. And then she went and told you anyway! I can’t, she just– why?” Dirk dropped the toy and moved quickly around the desk so that he was standing in front of Todd.

“Hey, whoa, slow down. What’s wrong?” Dirk asked, trying to grab Todd’s shoulders but he pushed him off, moving around so that he was standing in the middle of the room. Farah had closed the door to the kitchen, obviously not wanting to be a part of this newest development to the day.

“I can’t. Not today. It’s just, what did she tell you?” Todd asked. He was shaking so violently that his hoodie was vibrating.

“Amanda? Todd, I don’t know what you think she told me, but I’m sure it’s fine! I mean, it’s not– it’s not a big deal.” That was the wrong thing to say. Todd collapsed onto the couch and placed his head into his hands.

“She said she would let me tell you. She promised. I just, I didn’t want to do it today. I’m so tired. The Rowdies were so amped last night and I just. I can’t believe she told you.” Dirk moved forward, unsure of what to do. He had never seen Todd like this.

“It’s fine, it’s not a big deal, I’m sure–”

“Not a big deal? I’m a freakin’ werewolf, what do you mean not a big deal?” Todd had looked up at Dirk and must have seen Dirk’s expression because the color drained from Todd’s face.

“Wait, you, did you–”

“Werewolf?” It came out far too confused, Dirk hadn’t meant to sound so shocked, but who could blame him, he was. He was very, completely, utterly shocked. Todd stared at the wall, panic working it’s way back into his features.

“Oh my god.” Todd said quietly. “I just, and you didn’t, oh my god.” Todd started shaking again and he clamped his eyes shut against the tears.

“No, Todd. Hey. No it’s alright. Here, I just, you– please don’t cry. It’s alright!” Dirk wasn’t sure when he had grabbed the heart but he was kneeling in front of Todd when he realized it was in his hand.

“Please, no. It’s fine, it’s fine! You’re fine! It’s fine! Everything’s fine!” Todd was sobbing into his hands, his shoulders shaking with each ragged breath and Dirk didn’t know what to do. He looked down at the toy in his hand.

_Squeak_.

Todd stopped crying instantly. Dirk didn’t dare move, he wasn’t even really sure where he would go, so he stayed where he was, kneeling in front of Todd and holding his breath. Todd moved his hands away from his face and glared up at Dirk.

“Did you just squeak that at me?” Todd asked, not breaking eye contact with Dirk. Dirk swallowed and cast a quick glance down at the toy.

“Um, yes?” Dirk answered. He wasn’t sure if Todd was mad, or still upset. Todd just continued to glare at him. After a moment, Todd slowly reached for the heart and Dirk let him take it, watching as he turned it over in his hands.

“You had no idea?” Todd asked.

“None whatsoever. I rarely do.” Dirk answered, holding his hands up in a surrender. Todd’s glare slowly changed into a smile as he started to laugh. Dirk’s mouth fell open as he tried to process the change in atmosphere.

“And you just happened to buy me a squeaky toy, the day after the full moon, just cause?” He asked, looking up at Dirk.

“That does appear to be the case.” Dirk said, feeling a smile pull at the corners of his mouth. Todd laughed again and gave the heart another squeak.

“I’m an idiot.” He said, not looking up from the heart.

“I was so afraid that telling you would change things. Make you hate me, or be afraid of me. But you’re you, you’ll always be you. And you thought that the best way to cheer me up was to get me a squeaky toy because Amanda keeps sending them and you probably didn’t want to ask why.” Todd said, tears beginning to fall from his eyes, slower than before.

“Well, I just. I thought you collected them. I didn’t realize–”

“Dirk.” Todd said looking up. “It’s perfect. It’s so you. And I was an idiot for thinking you would take this badly.” he said, carefully cradling the toy in his hands. Dirk looked down and then back up.

“So you like it then?” He asked. Todd laughed, relaxing and leaning back into the sofa.

“Yeah, dork. I like the squeaky toy. Thank you.” Todd was still looking down at the toy so he couldn’t have known what Dirk was about to do. Dirk reached forward and wrapped Todd in a tight hug, pulling him slightly off the couch and onto the floor with him.

“Thank you for telling me. Or rather, for letting me give you a panic attack and then telling me.” Dirk said into Todd’s shoulder. Todd laughed and returned the hug.

“Sure thing.”

The door to the kitchen clicked open and Farah appeared in the doorway.

“So are we good to talk about the fact that you’re a werewolf?” She asked. Dirk released Todd and turned to her, a look of shock and amazement on his face.

“Farah knew? Why!?”

“The cameras Dirk, she knew because of the cameras.” Dirk had turned to face Todd and then quickly turned back to Farah as he stood.

“And you didn’t tell me!? That is not how office gossip works Farah and you know it!” Farah laughed and shrugged.

“I thought you’d figure it out sooner or later. More later than sooner though, it would seem.” She said, walking back towards her desk. Dirk crossed his arms and made a hmph noise.

“You could have given me a little clue. I mean honestly. All I had to go on was squeaky toys and the– Oh my god! Are The Rowdy 3 werewolves too?” Todd had stood and moved back towards his desk. He glanced up and raised his eyebrows.

“Really? That surprises you?” Dirk opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He guessed looking back it made sense. The way they were always hanging around with each other, the howling, but Dirk had just assumed that’s how they were.

“Wait. So then, them coming back, and hanging around the office that was, what?”

“Martin said ‘pack bonding’ but I think they just like watching me look like an idiot.” Todd said, carefully placing the heart down near the small clock he kept on his desk.

“They definitely like breaking lamps.” Farah mumbled under her breath as she quickly typed up what Dirk was sure was another insurance form of some kind.

“And the night they snatched you from your apartment?”

“Full moon. First time we all, ya know. That’s what that was.” Todd said, taking a seat and leaning back, watching as Dirk started to pace back and forth in front of his desk.

“So this whole time, you’ve all just known this thing, and no one thought to mention it to me!? I am the one who would love this information the most!” Dirk felt genuinely left out. He knew it was silly, and that he was acting childish, but manners be damned. His friends had kept this crazy secret and he had to find out through some fluke of the universe.

“Dirk, again, I should have told you. I’m actually a little surprised Farah didn’t tell you.” Farah glanced up at the mention of her name.

“Nuh-huh, I’m not getting in the middle of whatever,” she gestured between Dirk and Todd, “this whole thing is. I’ll be over here if you need me to shoot someone. But you guys need to figure your shit out on your own.” Todd sat up and Dirk noticed that his cheeks had gone bright red.

“What are you implying?” Todd asked.

“The same thing Martin’s always implying.” Farah answered.

“You talk to Martin?”

“Of course I do. Why would I not talk to Martin?” Dirk was quickly getting lost. He realized that there was something else he didn’t know.

“Wait, what is Martin always implying?”

“Nothing!” Todd shouted, his voice cracking. Todd cleared his throat and shook his head.

“It’s nothing. It’s a werewolf thing. It’s, it’s really, it’s fine. Look, this was a lot of sharing for one day. And the Rowdies beat the living shit out of me last night. Can we just, I don’t know, solve a case or something? I’d take alien abduction at this point.”

“Good luck figuring out a way to put that on an insurance form.” Farah laughed as she finished up what she was doing on her laptop and moved onto the paper in front of her. Todd growled, actually growled, over at her before sighing.

“Okay, fine, maybe no aliens for a while. Do you have anything Dirk?” Todd glanced over expectantly. For once Dirk didn’t have anything, let alone a clue as to where to go next.

“Honestly? I’ve got nothing. But I’m very interested to know more about, this, whole, thing.” He gestured towards Todd who went red around the ears. Farah perked up shuffling her chair around her desk and into the center of the room.

“Actually, me too. Like, what do you guys get up to?” She asked. Todd groaned glaring over at her.

“I thought you talked to Martin.”

“We can talk about what Martin and I talk about instead if–”

“Nope, it’s– we, we just go out into the woods, and like, hang out.” Dirk dragged his chair over next to Farah, taking a seat and leaning forward.

“And the others? What are they like?” Dirk asked.

“I mean, pretty much what they’re always like, except they really like to beat me up. And it works, cause, we like, heal really fast.” Farah and Dirk exchanged looks, both thinking that finally, they could stop filing workers compensations forms, Todd would just do all the dangerous stuff moving forward.

“And then what do you do after?” Farah continued. Todd shrugged leaning back in his chair.

“Nothing. We eat, they bring me back, I typically pass out. But you said I had to come to work today, so here I am.” He grabbed his coffee from the desk and took a long sip. Farah rolled her eyes.

“You said you would be fine to come in today, don’t go blaming me for you stupid decisions.” Dirk snorted as Todd glared over at Farah.

“So how does it work? How did it happen?” Dirk watched as Todd tensed. He hadn’t realized this might be a touchy, personal subject until it had already left his mouth. Todd shift in his chair leaning forward slightly.

“Well, Martin and Cross and Gripps, they were born this way. And Vogel was bitten, like me. I actually don’t know the story there, he’s never mentioned it. But, well, for me,” he paused, staring down at his desk.

“It was a couple months ago, with the case with the star, and the museum. I went off to do some looking around and I left you guys up top. I ended up in this like, underground storage area of the museum. There was a noise coming from an open door and I wanted to see what it was and then the next thing I knew you guys were calling, it had been a couple hours. My stomach was all scarred over by that point but no one had noticed I was there. I never saw the wolf, I don’t think I’ll ever see him again. Martin said he was probably purebred, like them, it wasn’t a moon or anything. I don’t know why he didn’t just kill me, Martin was surprised he hadn’t. But yeah, that’s pretty much how it happened.”

Dirk and Farah didn’t know what to say. That was awful, how had that not noticed that their best friend had almost died? Dirk could remember the case clearly and remembered being worried where Todd had gotten off to, but he had just assumed he had to run home. He had no idea, and from Farah’s shocked expression, she hadn’t known either. Todd looked between them for a moment.

“You guys okay?” He asked.

“Are _we_ okay?” Farah said, looking over at Dirk.

“Todd, you almost died, and you never told us.” She didn’t sound mad, more resigned than anything else. Todd shrugged.

“We almost die all the time. And I didn’t die, that was like the whole point of the story. Plus now, it’s significantly harder to kill me, so I guess that’s a plus.” Todd shuffled some papers on his desk as Dirk and Farah continued to stare in silence.

“I think what Farah is trying to say is that, we would have understood, if you had told us when it happened. That’s a terrible thing to go through on your own. I’m so– We’re both, so sorry, we had no idea. I know how it feels, to go through something that terrible on your own, we all do, I mean, Farah’s entire family is just a nightmare–”

“Hey!”

“And when I first escaped Blackwing I was constantly almost dying. The very first night out, I was still pretty injured and almost froze to death out in that damned desert. But I found this little shack way out there and I was able to stay there for a couple of days before moving on to find people. Sure I was alone, but someone had made that shack, someone had been there before me, so I wasn’t completely alone. I knew I wanted to be that for others, someone who could be there. That's the point of our whole Agency! You aren't alone anymore! None of us are, and we just want to help anyway we can.” Todd smiled as Farah gawked at Dirk.

“You almost froze to death in a desert? Where even is Blackwing?” Dirk glanced over and shrugged.

“Damned if I know. It was flat, and brown, and unbearably hot during the day. I had to walk so far just to find a town and even then it was the smallest town I’d ever been to. It was really more of a village, than a town, there was only like 458 re–”

“Dirk?” Farah stopped him.

“Oh right, sorry, no idea where Blackwing is. But, the point still stands. You aren’t alone anymore, we’re here for you, no matter what.” Todd looked between the two of them before he stood and walked around his desk. He drew them both up and wrapped them in a tight, three person hug. Dirk was surprised, Todd rarely showed physical affection, so hugs were always impressive coming from him.

“I know, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys sooner. Thank you, for, well, for everything.” Todd said, moving out of the hug and smiling at them both. Dirk smiled back and noticed a small flyer sticking to the side of Todd’s desk.

“Oh! I think I’ve got a hunch!” Dirk moved around Todd and grabbed the flyer, spinning back to face the others.

“Who feels like a trip to the zoo?”

* * *

_**July** _

**Who’s brilliant idea was this?**

“I don’t understand! Why can’t I come along?” Dirk asked. He was laying upside down on the office couch glaring up at Todd. Todd sighed and shook his head.

“Because Dirk. What part of five werewolves sounds safe to you?” Dirk tsked as he tried to roll into a sitting position.

“But it’s just you and The Rowdy 3. What’s the worst that could happen?” Dirk had rolled onto his side and promptly fell off the couch. He cried out in surprise and Todd found himself halfway across the distance before he even realized he had moved. Martin snorted from his spot standing in the entryway to the office.

“Martin tell him! It’ll be fine, right? You lot are in control of your thing, it’s not like you’re first time out!” Dirk had pushed himself up off the floor and Todd was glaring daggers over at Martin. Martin and Todd had already talked about having non-wolves around. It wasn’t an issue as long as they were pack, and all of their friends were pack. But Todd was still worried. What if something went wrong? What if he hurt Dirk? He couldn’t live with himself if something happened to Dirk.

Ugh, Martin was right, he had fallen hard.

“It’s not up to me Brit. If Pup says no, then no.” The nickname had stuck. And everyone used it. Todd hated it.

Dirk turned on Todd, a look of pleading almost breaking Todd’s heart.

“Please? I’ll be good. I promise. I just, I want to come along. Amanda’s seen!” Amanda had spent several months with the Rowdies and had been present for all of their shifts. She had explained to Todd that it was amazingly cool and that she was excited to chill with him when he was ready.

Todd was definitely not ready.

“No Dirk. Not tonight.” Dirk sighed, dropping his eyes to the floor.

“Fine, have fun I guess.” He grabbed his bag from his desk and slung it over his shoulder. Todd could have sworn he felt Dirk’s disappointment as he walked across the office towards the door.

“Bye, Martin.” Dirk said, slipping out the door behind the eldest Rowdy. Martin waved over his shoulder and looked back towards Todd.

“It’s just, it’s not safe.” Todd said, trying to justify his actions and realizing he was being selfish. He didn’t want Dirk there because he was afraid of how he would feel having Dirk there. Todd was afraid he would like it and then he would actually have to admit that there is something there. That may not even be reciprocated. He had no idea. And so that left Todd feeling terrified and he didn’t want to feel terrified tonight.

“Whatever you say Pup. You and I both know that Brit would be fine. Ain’t nothing gonna happen to him if he’s got you and us watching out for him.” Martin continued to lean against the door frame and watched as Todd messed with his hoodie. He had started feeling hot earlier that afternoon which didn’t make him feel any better about the shift tonight.

“Let’s just, can we go or–”

“After you.” Martin moved aside waving his hand out the door. Todd ducked out of the office and saw the other Rowdies were standing outside the van smiling over at him.

“There he is!” Gripps hollered.

“Pup!” Cross chimed in.

“Whoo! Ready to howl?” Vogel called as Todd and Martin walked up to the van.

“Sure am. Let’s go.” they piled in and headed towards the forest.

 

It wasn’t a long distance to their regular spot in the woods but Todd was itching to get out of the van when they arrived. He had been anxious the entire drive and had felt like the walls were closing in on him. He leapt from the van and jogged into the clearing, shaking his limbs as he went. Todd stretched, letting his muscles loosen and then finally turned back towards the others.

Martin had exited the van and was currently looking at something on the roof, a frown on his face. Vogel was trying to laugh but it wasn’t working.

“It wasn’t my idea. Cross and Gripps helped!” Vogel pointed, moving away from the van. Martin glared over at him and then over at Todd.

“Don’t panic, Pup.” Martin hopped up onto the back of the van and grabbed hold of something that made a very human squeaking noise as it was lifted and dropped on its feet onto the ground. Dirk’s hair was ruffled and his eyes were wide with panic as he moved away from the van and the the Rowdies.

“Dirk?” Todd asked, feeling the panic mix quickly with the heat in his chest. He didn’t have time to deal with this. Moonrise was in ten minutes. They had been late leaving the office. And did not have time to take Dirk back to the city.

Dirk spun so that he was looking at Todd, an awkward smile on his face, but he was clutching at his chest like his heart was racing.

“Oh, hello. Right well, you see, here’s the thing–”

“You snuck up here?” Todd shouted. The heat burned through him making it hard to focus. Dirk was here.

“Well I just, I thought, and they said–”

“I said no!” Todd moved forward, covering the distance to stand in front of Dirk. He could hear the other Rowdies off to the side. Martin was telling them about how this probably hadn’t been the brightest plan. Dirk took a step back.

“Todd, I’m sure it will be fine.” He tried to sound reassuring but Todd was past being reassured.

“Martin. Keys.” Martin didn’t even ask. He tossed the keys to Todd and moved the others away from the van. Todd shoved the keys into Dirk’s hand.

“You’re going to get in the van, lock all the doors, and stay there. Clear?”

“But Todd-“

“No! I didn’t want you here! Please, just, stay in the van!” Dirk looked about ready to cry but he didn’t argue. He climbed into the van and Todd slid the door shut. He could hear Dirk’s racing heart through the door as the heat knocked him to the ground.

Martin was by his side, pulling him up and towards the group.

“It’ll be okay, pup. Swear.” But Todd couldn’t hear him. Through the panic and the pain all Todd could hear was Dirk’s heartbeat racing in the van. Todd tried to sit but collapsed to the ground and then he was gone.

* * *

**You snuck up and surprised him and now he’s miserable?**

Dirk wasn’t sure how long he had huddled in the corner of the van. The panic in his chest had felt so foreign and sudden, he couldn’t believe it was all his. Dirk listened as the shouting turned to howling and then there was relative silence.

He could hear something pacing around the van, making circles and occasionally rubbing up against it. The panic in his chest had turned to curiosity and he couldn’t help himself but to scoot closer to the front windows.

It was hard to see in the darkness, but he could make out a shape slowly passing in front of and along the sides of the van.

Maybe he could just get into the front seat for a better view.

Dirk crawled into the front and sat looking out the window. He could now see four other large shapes a ways away from the van. Three of them were moving quite a bit and Dirk assumed that’s where the yips and the barking that he could hear was coming from. The fourth was sitting and watching the van. As the moon cleared the trees the wolves came into focus.

They weren’t monsters like Dirk had been imagining. They were just regular looking wolves. Rather large wolves, but still wolves. The wolf that had been watching the van made eye contact with Dirk and watched him for a minute.

It was Martin. Dirk was sure of it. So then that must mean that the three behind him were the others and that left Todd-

The shape moved in front of the passenger window, startling Dirk back a little. He had almost forgotten about the wolf circling the van. That must be Todd.

Dirk heard Martin bark and watched as he stood moving forward slowly toward the van. There was a low growl from near the passenger door and Martin stopped moving, looking up at Dirk and then down at what Dirk assumed was Todd.

Martin stayed where he was for a moment before shaking his head and turning back to the others leading them into the trees.

Dirk watched them go and then carefully scooted forward again so that he could look down through the window. Right below the door he could make out the shape of that last wolf, of Todd. He was lying below the door head resting on his front paws. He must have heard Dirk move because as soon as Dirk neared the window his head popped up and turned to look at him.

Dirk couldn’t move. The panic returned to his chest as Todd stood and backed away from the van, whining as he did. Dirk placed the keys on the dash and carefully opened the door. His body, his emotions were telling him not to, to stay in the van, but the familiar nudge of the universe encouraged him forward.

Dirk hopped from the van and for the first time was able to really understand just how tall the wolf actually was. Dirk had seen wolves before, he had dragged Todd to the zoo just the other week and teased him as they walked through the exhibit. Todd had seemed rather uncomfortable the entire time and now, seeing him out in the woods Dirk understood why. There weren’t any fences or cages or walls. There was just trees and open space and Dirk realized that he knew the feeling. The feeling of being free and never wanting to go back.

Todd snorted and continued to back up as Dirk moved away from the van. Dirk sighed and lowered himself slowly to the ground. Dirk had spoken with Amanda about this after the last full moon, after he had found out, and she had tried her best to explain.

It was all about comfort. Comfort was key. The Rowdies were always comfortable around her, they just were, so they had just gone straight into playing and running and relaxing. But Amanda had mentioned that Todd was going to be different. Todd over thought everything, Dirk knew that, but more than that, he tried to protect people who were just fine on their own. So getting him to relax in a situation where he felt like he had no control would be near impossible.

The panic continued to build in Dirk’s chest and he noticed his breathing had quickened. Why was he panicking? Nothing had happened. He tried to slow his breathing but it wasn’t working. He reached up to loosen his tie and felt his pounding heart through his shirt. Dirk placed his hand over his chest and tried to imagine the beats slowing, counting down from 100. But even after the first fifty his chest was still hammering away.

Todd had stopped moving and was watching. Dirk could hear him sniffing the air and looked up. He was so far away. Dirk closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing again, using the techniques Farah had shown him, but nothing helped. He let out a soft cry as tears began to fall and curled in a little on himself. The panic disappeared almost immediately and was replaced by fear. Not fear that something was going to happen, but fear that something was wrong.

Dirk felt a nudge on his shoulder and he started back a little, eyes snapping open and realizing that Todd had come back. Todd was right there, nose only a few inches from him.

“I thought you didn't want me here.” He said. Even he knew he sounded petulant. Todd snorted and bumped his nose against Dirk’s shoulder again.

“No, I’m fine. I just, I can’t catch my breath for some reason.” Dirk tried again for a large breath but it felt like it was burning through his lungs.

He gasped and deflated, leaning his weight onto his crossed legs. The worry rose into his throat and Todd laid down, wrapping his body around Dirk and resting his head on Dirk’s leg. Dirk watched the movement and carefully straightened his back, lifting his arm so that Todd wasn’t pushing on it.

“I’m not sure what to do now.” Dirk said, watching as Todd blinked up at him. Todd gave a snort and shuffled in tighter to Dirk.

Dirk still had his hands raised, unsure where to put them. But with each passing moment he knew that contact was probably acceptable. He lowered his hands slowly, placing one on his leg and the other he rested along Todd’s back. Todd’s ears flicked but he didn’t pull away from the motion.

“This doesn’t seem too bad. I honestly have no idea what you were so worried about.” Dirk slowly began to pet around Todd’s ears. Todd gave a snort and turned into the contact, pushing lightly against Dirk’s hand. They stayed that way as the night quieted around them. The sounds of the others in the distance fading in and out as they ran.

Todd’s head snapped up, staring off into the trees as another wolf tumbled out. The soft tan of the coat looked almost silver in the moonlight. Dirk watched as the wolf stood and shook leaves from its pelt, bounding over towards Todd and Dirk. Dirk felt Todd tense and a low growl rumbled in his throat.

“Oh Todd, hush.” The smaller wolf slowed, his eyes darting down to Todd and then back to Dirk. Dirk smiled and held his free hand out. The wolf snorted and then inched forward, his nose eventually connecting with Dirk’s outstretched palm.

“Vogel?” Dirk tried and watched as the wolf’s tail began to wag, coming in closer and laying down in front of him. Vogel laid on his side, his head resting on Todd’s paws who seemed more than a bit annoyed by the addition. Dirk ran his hand along Vogel’s side which garnered more tail wags.

“See, nothing to worry about.” Dirk could hear the others further out in the forest and let himself relax into the warmth around him.

Todd shifted, disturbing Vogel who let out a soft yip. Todd turned his head and knocked it against the smaller wolf. Dirk snorted as Vogel stumbled up and grabbed at Todd, who let out another growl and watched as Vogel backed up.

“Go, I’ll be fine. I’m not going anywhere.” Todd glanced back at him, and Dirk felt his worry return. He gave a soft smile.

“I’ll be fine.” Vogel barked, lowering his front down, tail wagging. Todd snorted and stood, uncurling himself from around Dirk. Dirk watched as he padded over and Vogel tackled him to the ground. Dirk’s phone chimed as he watched Todd wrestle his way off the ground and pin Vogel. He pulled his phone from his coat pocket and looked down. It was Amanda.

**Amanda**

_Dirk! Drinks!? You me Farah and Tina!_

**Dirk**

_I can’t. I’m out._

**Amanda**

_Where dude? All your friends are here or in the woods._

_Wait, are you in the woods?!?!_

**Dirk**

_Yes_

**Amanda**

_DUDE!_

**Dirk**

_It’s not a big deal._

**Amanda**

_It’s a HUGE deal! He said yes?_

**Dirk**

_Well, not exactly_

**Amanda**

_You snuck up and surprised him and now he’s miserable?_

**Dirk**

_Closer to that, yes_

**Amanda**

_Well like, what’s he doing?_

Dirk glanced up. Vogel had successfully got Todd back to the ground and was sitting on his side.

**Dirk**

_Playing with Vogel. I think. I’m not sure. I think they’re playing. Vogel is sitting on him._

**Amanda**

_That sounds like Vogel. Well have fun!!!_

**Dirk**

_I will. Say hi to the others for me!_

By the time Dirk had returned the phone to his pocket the others had emerged from the treeline. Martin glanced from Todd and Vogel and then over to Dirk. Dirk felt the anxiety rise back into his chest and noticed Todd struggling to get free of Vogel who flopped down, ensuring that Todd wasn’t getting up anytime soon. Martin left Gripps and Cross behind and padded over to Dirk.

Dirk had noticed the size difference between Todd and Vogel, but that was nothing in comparison to Martin. He was closer to the size of a bear than a wolf. His amber eyes burning bright against his white coat. Dirk found himself scooting backwards and quickly ran into the van. Martin snorted and carefully grabbed hold of the front of Dirk’s jacket, pulling him forward and up.

Dirk stood and followed Martin over to the others. Todd began to struggle against Vogel and let out yips of distress. Dirk smiled over at him.

“It’s alright, Todd. Amanda does this all the time and she hasn’t died yet.” That didn’t necessarily calm the anxiety in Dirk’s chest but Todd stopped struggling.

Cross and Gripps circled around Dirk, brushing up against him and pushing him back and forth lightly. Martin had wandered off to the side and was laying down, watching the group. Vogel yipped from on top of Todd and launched himself at Cross.

They tumbled over, taking Dirk with them. He yelped as he went down but the wolves rolled away from him, yips and growls moving off to the side. Gripps brought his nose down and nudged Dirk back onto his feet just as Todd appeared. He used his shoulder and pushed Gripps away with a low growl.

“Todd, it’ll be okay.” Dirk said. Todd turned his head and Gripps took the opportunity to tackle Todd to the ground, a surprised yelp escaping him. Dirk couldn’t help but laugh as Todd struggled on the ground. The commotion drew Vogel’s attention who launched himself at Dirk, albeit with much less force, something he had more than likely learned from playing with Amanda.

Dirk laughed as Vogel laid carefully on his chest, his nose messing with Dirk’s hair. But the panic returned to right before Todd grabbed Vogel by the scruff of his neck and pulled him off of Dirk, a low growl coming from his throat. Vogel whimpered as he backed away from Todd.

“Todd! It’s fine.” But Todd wasn’t listening as he moved forward slowly. Dirk got to his feet and looked to Martin who still hadn’t moved and was watching silently. He nodded his head and Dirk glanced back at Todd who still was turned away from him.

It was a bad idea.

But all his ideas were bad until they weren’t.

Using his entire body weight, Dirk tackled Todd to the ground, garnering victorious howls from the other Rowdies. Todd jerked and rolled away, turning on Dirk who was sitting on the ground a smile on his face. Todd watched him for a moment before glancing at the other three and then back to Dirk. Dirk went to stand but didn’t make it to his feet.

Todd pushed him to the ground, laying across his chest as Vogel had done, except Todd was heavier.

“Hey! Oh, now it’s okay, is it?” Todd snorted and looked down at him as the other Rowdies continued with their play in the background. Dirk pushed Todd up, who more than likely stood on his own accord because Dirk was not that strong, and got to his feet. As soon as he was up Todd swooped under his legs and knocked him back down onto his back.

“That’s just cheating now!” Dirk hollered as Vogel raced over. Vogel pushed Dirk up with his nose and then ran around and leapt at Todd. Todd caved into the motion, taking them both to the ground and rolling with him. Dirk sat and watched, the anxiety he had felt before gone and replaced with relaxed joy. Cross and Gripps moved back over and took up spots on either side of Dirk, watching as Todd was repeatedly attacked by Vogel, occasionally joining in to help keep Todd down. Dirk finally understood what Todd meant when he said they beat him up.

Dirk wasn’t sure how long he sat there but at a certain point he realized he had drifted off, head lulling in his hand. Todd had appeared and was carefully pushing on Dirk’s forehead with his nose. Dirk blinked and looked up, a smile on his face.

“Sorry. Just tired. Keep going if you want.” Todd snorted and pushed Dirk up and back towards the van. They made it to the door and Todd nudged it.

“Oh, sure. I’ve got it.” Dirk opened the door and watched as Todd carefully grabbed one blanket then another. Dirk picked up the first blanket and closed the door to the van as Todd padded off down a small trail away from the from the noise of the Rowdies.

They stopped in a small clearing not too far from the van and Todd dropped his blanket, glancing over at Dirk, waiting for something that Dirk didn’t know. After a moment, Todd snorted and laid down, trying his best to adjust the blanket and failing.

“Oh, I see. Here, let me.” Dirk grabbed the second blanket and draped it over Todd. The blanket was large enough that there was extra left over on the ground. Dirk sat down, the other blanket in hand, and spread it over both of them. He laid back and stared up at the trees above them.

Todd snorted and moved closer, resting his head across Dirk’s chest. Dirk smiled and tried to look at him.

“Thank you. For not making me stay in the van. I’m sorry, I came up without your permission, but I’m glad everything went well.” Todd snorted again, and scooted in tighter, his warmth helping to lull Dirk to sleep.

* * *

**Snuggled him right to death**

Todd woke the same way he always did. Tired, confused, on the ground, and covered by a blanket. But this time was different. He was on his side and his arm was draped over something warm. Had he fallen asleep in a dog pile? He couldn’t remember clearly. He took a deep breath before opening his eyes and froze.

Dirk.

Todd opened his eyes and sure enough he was looking at a mess of auburn hair. Dirk was there. Dirk was laying on the ground with him. He was cuddling with Dirk.

Wait.

He panicked and looked down quickly. He was covered in not one, but two blankets. The first was draped over him and then it looked like Dirk had laid on top of it, the second was draped over both of them to help keep Dirk warm.

How long had they been like this? Was this something Martin had done or had Dirk? Dirk shifted slightly and Todd held his breath. What if this wasn’t okay? What if Dirk wasn’t okay with the closeness?

As if to answer his questions, Dirk rolled over, invading Todd’s space even more and draped his arm over Todd’s side. Todd didn’t quite know what to do. He certainly couldn’t move now.

So he watched Dirk. There was a calmness in his face that Todd hardly ever saw. At this moment Dirk wasn’t worried about anything, he was just asleep. Dreaming about who knows what and not worrying about the universe around him.

He looked so relaxed and Todd felt himself fall deeper. He hated that Martin had been right.

They stayed there, Todd watching Dirk sleep for an unknown amount of time. When Todd heard the increase in heartbeats he wasn’t sure what to do, and he spent too long thinking about it. Dirk blinked open his eyes and looked over at Todd. A tired smile cracked his lips.

“Morning.” Dirk said.

“Hi.” Todd responded, immediately kicking himself for not coming up with something better.

“Have you been watching me sleep?” Dirk asked. He sounded like he was going to laugh but Todd felt himself beginning to panic.

“I just, you, I didn’t want-“

“Oh my gosh, is that you?” Dirk cut him off, moving the hand from Todd’s side to grab at his own chest. “The panic? I was wondering what it was. Can I, can I feel your emotions?” Dirk still didn’t seem upset, he just sounded curious. And Todd could feel it, the interest, the want to solve a puzzle.

“Well, yeah, a little.” Dirk snorted.

“Oh good. I was wondering why I was having a panic attack last night. Couldn’t for the life of me work out what I was so afraid of. But it was you! Oh, Todd, I’m sorry. I caused all that panic didn’t I?” Dirk had gone soft draping his arm back over Todd’s side.

“I was, I was just worried. That something would happen. That I would, that I would hurt you.”

“Oh yes, snuggled me to death didn’t you.” Dirk said laughing lightly. Todd could feel the happiness, the serenity, but like an asshole, he had to ruin it.

“So, what exactly, is this then?” Todd asked. Dirk raised an eyebrow and frowned a little.

“It’s called cuddling. You do it when you enjoy someone so much that you want to hug them all the time.”

“And you do? Want to, all the time, that is?”

“No Todd, of course I don’t. I just snuck up here against your wishes, hung out with you all night, then made sure we both wouldn’t freeze, and have been cuddling with you for who knows how long all because that is exactly what I don’t want.” Dirk had been hanging around Todd too much. His sarcasm had improved exponentially. Todd wasn’t sure what to say so Dirk pulled in a little closer.

“I’m joking. It’s completely fine. Are you okay with it?”

“Yes.” Todd answered far too quickly.

“Yes?” Dirk asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

“I mean, yes, it’s fine. If you’re fine with it, I mean. It’s, cool if you aren’t. I get it.” Todd stumbled over his words. It was too early for this. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes.

“I’m fine with it, Todd.” Dirk said smiling. Todd could have watched Dirk smile at him forever.

Dirk looked down suddenly, turning red as he opened his mouth to say something before promptly closing it.. Todd followed Dirk’s gaze, tripped up by Dirk’s sudden embarrassment. He was looking at the blankets. More specifically, he was trying to avoid looking at the very thin cover over Todd’s lower half.

Oh.

Todd shifted restlessly; he hadn’t meant to make Dirk uncomfortable. Intimate topics like this always put him off; it just wasn’t his thing. Dirk was more into romance than sex. The embarrassment and the guilt bounced from person to person, turning the mood from light and happy to rather miserable in no time at all. After a few minutes of this, Todd managed to get some sort of sentence out to break the silence, but just barely.

“Do you uh, wanna go and get some clothes… or…” Todd shared a glance with Dirk, who grinned sheepishly. He looked towards the sound of the commotion over by the campsite. Low voices were discernible, but it was impossible to interpret what they were saying.

“Yes. Right. Clothes. Very important. Right away.” Dirk was already up and moving, pulling out of the embrace between the two in favour of dusting off his coat. It was new; Dirk had gotten it at the shop around the corner from the office just the other week after he’d dragged Todd to the zoo. It fit him perfectly.

It also happened to be the most ridiculous shade of pink Todd had ever seen.

Todd lifted himself off the ground slowly, his bones aching from the night before. He stretched out, keeping the blanket tight around his waist so it wouldn’t fall. Dirk would be too embarrassed to ever speak to him again if that were to happen. They met eyes for a second.

Dirk went red again, and looked away hastily.

“Eh, shall we?”

Todd nodded.

The walk into the camp was one of the shyer moments Todd had experienced. He and Dirk had silently decided that being more than a few feet from each other was definitely unbearable, and far from the ideal, so they’d walked in together hand in hand. The Rowdies hadn’t failed to notice this. Their entrance into the makeshift campground was met by hollering from Cross and Gripps, and interested looks from Martin and Vogel.

Todd glanced at Martin, who was smiling at him in a very “I told you so” kind of way. It would have been humiliating, but the feeling of Dirk’s hand in his own was enough to drive away any bad emotion.

This time, not unlike the last, Vogel was curled up on a blanket near where Gripps was sitting. The young man was wearing actual clothes this time; an old jacket that was torn up and a pair of sweatpants that looked like they’d been left by Amanda. He seemed more awake than last time, but still lacking in the proper energy. He smiled up at the approaching pair, prompting Dirk to smile back before getting a look of abject horror on his face.

“Vogel? Are you alright?” Dirk was eyeing the youngest Rowdy with concern; never before had he seen any of The Rowdy 3 so low on energy. Vogel nodded slowly, flashing a smile in his direction as he laid his head against a tree.

“He’s cool. Just a bit tired.” Todd acknowledged Vogel with a nod, speaking quietly to Dirk. “Shifting is like, pretty hard on him.”

Dirk frowned.

“Some clothes in the van, Pup. Drummer picked up some stuff.” Todd cringed at the nickname, noticing the way Dirk’s intrigue caught every time he heard it. He would have to make sure Dirk didn’t ask about it.

“Right…” Todd muttered.

He squeezed Dirk’s hand - clearly hearing Dirk’s heart pick-up from that gesture - and pulled him past the group and to the open van. He saw a plastic bag in the corner; he almost went to grab it, but then stopped, looking down at himself. Dirk sprung into action.

“Oh! Right!” Dirk let go of Todd’s hand, climbing into the van to retrieve the clothes. Todd could feel the gaze of the Rowdies on his back.

“Aha!”

Dirk held up the bag in triumph, letting out a victorious sound. He threw the bag at Todd, who scrambled to catch it while still holding up the blanket. He just barely managed, grabbing at the knot in the fabric to keep it together.

There was laughter from behind him. Todd looked at the bag, and then down at the blanket.

“Dirk. Could I like, use the van?” Todd shifted on his feet.

“Oh! Yes! Of course!”

Dirk jumped out of the van, covering his eyes with his hands as Todd crawled inside. It would have been adorable if not for the laughter still coming from the campfire, which had only intensified. Todd sighed.

Now that he was hidden behind the door, he opened the bag. Inside was one of his shirts; a shirt that, coincidentally, had gone missing a few days before. It was the flannel from a few full moons ago. Under that was an old pair of his jeans that had also mysteriously disappeared from the wash. Todd sighed. He’d have to talk to Farah about letting Amanda go through their things. Either that, or he would start having to bringing his own clothes.

There were no shoes.

Todd pulled the pants on first; that was a priority. They fit comfortably, and it was much better than the borrowed pair of jeans from last time. Satisfied, he pulled on the flannel. It still smelled like Dirk, and Todd found himself holding the fabric to his nose, breathing in the scent.

“Todd? Are you alright?”

Dirk called into the van, and Todd realized that he’d probably taken too long getting dressed.

“Yeah Dirk. I’m fine. I’m coming out.”

Todd didn’t miss the momentarily shocked expression on Dirk’s face as he climbed out, followed by the pure joy that Todd was wearing the flannel that he had bought him. Todd couldn’t help but smile back.

“Shall we eat?” Dirk paused for a moment. “Er… _is_ there anything to eat?”

Glancing behind Dirk, Todd saw five more boxes of what looked like watermelon poptarts. He cringed. He’d have to convince Martin to start bringing other snacks.

“Uh. Yeah. It’ll be fine.”

Todd led Dirk over to the fire, where it seemed that a spot had been saved for them. He grabbed a box of poptarts and handed a pack to Dirk, who wrinkled his nose.

“Is this legal?” Dirk said as he examined the package. Todd shrugged, already biting into one. He couldn’t argue with his stomach. He would probably suffer for it later though; they were still disgusting.

“Spooky Wolf Club ain’t got nothing but the best.” Gripps spoke up, holding yet another drink like he had been last time. Todd had asked Amanda about it the last he’d seen her, but all she’d responded with was a snicker, followed by raising her eyebrows at Gripps.

She could be a rather questionable person at the best of times.

“The Spooky… what?” Dirk looked at Gripps wildly, who grinned at him like a maniac.

“It’s nothing Dirk. Just leave it.” Todd said, looking over at the detective. Martin cleared his throat.

“So,” Martin started, “You two on good terms?”

“I rather think so. This morning was _quite_ something if I do say so myself. Although I do think Todd was a bit nervous when he woke up next to-”

“Dirk.”

Todd interrupted Dirk, going rather red. He knew where this conversation was going, and it made him want to fade into thin air. Dirk turned to look at Todd, perturbed by the embarrassment he was experiencing.

“Todd?”

“Cuddle with your Bonded buddy?” Cross joined in from his spot next to Martin.

“His what?”

This was it. This was how Todd would die. It’s a shame; he wouldn’t even get to tell Farah goodbye. Maybe he could tell her from the afterlife, because Todd definitely felt as though he was going to die right then and there.

“It’s just, it’s a werewolf thing.” Todd mumbled.

“Oh, like the feelings?”

“Dirk!” The others howled; Gripps actually fell off his seat. Martin let them go for a moment, watching as Todd got redder and redder. He looked to Martin desperately. After a moment he whistled and quieted the group down.

“I think that’s probably something you two should talk about. Don’t you, Pup?” Todd was up, Dirk’s hand in his before Martin could even finish talking. They headed back out of camp, the way they had come just moments before and back towards the small clearing. Dirk pulled slightly, looking back at the others and Todd could feel his confusion.

“Have fun!” Cross and Gripps called in sing-song voices.

“Yeah. Good talks!” Vogel called, much less enthused than the others, but still humored by the unfolding events.

“Whatever. Don’t leave without us!” Todd shouted over his shoulder as they moved behind bushes, obscuring the Rowdies from sight, and helping to reduce the noise just a tick.

“What was that? What are they–”

“Okay, look.” Todd pulled Dirk down to the ground with him, sitting criss-cross as Dirk awkwardly landed on his side, still managing to stay upright. “I need to tell you some things. And they’re big things. Big important things. And I need to be able to get them all out before you say anything. Is that okay?” Dirk’s eyes widened and he didn’t say anything.

“Dirk? Is that okay?”

“You said not to–”

“Oh right, okay. Thank you.” Todd took a deep breath, closing his eyes trying to ready himself for the conversation. He tried to remember how Martin had explained it to him.

“It’s like… we all have souls, right? You know, how Lydia got swapped out or whatever. It’s like that, except no soul swapping. But sometimes people sort of get… close to each other. Like, really close. And their souls kind of link? Sort of?” Todd sighed, listening to his own stilted voice. “And then they’re just. Linked. Bonded. Forever. I can feel your emotions and you can feel mine and we-”

Todd stopped for a second. What were they, exactly? They _had_ quite literally woken up cuddling, so that accounted for something. It probably accounted for a lot, actually. Todd took a breath, starting up again.

“Martin and the others. They’re sort of like… pack bonded? Or something? Them and Amanda and all that. But it’s like, platonic, you know? Like brothers and sisters or whatever. But then, we’re…” Todd gestured vaguely. “Different. I think.”

He took a deep breath. Martin was right, and so was Amanda and Tina and just about everyone who had ever asked him about it. He looked at Dirk, the sunlight reflecting off his face and making Todd’s breath catch for a second.

“I… we’re different, you know? _This_ is different. But, it’s not like, _bad_ different, you know?”

Dirk stared at Todd, and Todd at Dirk. Todd’s heart sped up as the moments went on. Had he said something wrong?

Dirk opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

God, he’d messed it all up. He’d went and let himself talk and now it was ruined, all of it. Dirk, the agency, it was all ruined. All because Todd couldn’t keep his goddamn mouth shut. Dirk felt the anxiety well up in his chest as Todd started to panic, and that just fed back as Todd searched the air for what Dirk was feeling.

He’d messed up.

“I’m sorry, this was stupid. I’m just gonna go.” Todd went up to leave, but didn’t ever make it back to the path. Dirk was never one for touching without asking first, so instead he broke his promise to Todd and called out.

“Todd! Wait, Todd, wait!”

Dirk scrambled to his feet, staring at Todd with an odd mix of desperation and awe. Todd stopped, but didn’t turn. This was his fault; he’d messed up.

Slowly, however, Todd could feel something different coming from Dirk’s chest. When he finally turned to face him, he found that Dirk was crying.

And he was _happy._

“Dirk?” Todd spoke his name softly, as if talking any louder would break the moment. “Are you okay?”

Dirk nodded, his breathing sounding rather strange as he took a breath.

“You’re just…” He paused, unable to stop the crying. “Rather like me, aren’t you?”

Todd stopped in his tracks, his head thrown out of order.

“I… what?”

Dirk crossed his arms, nodding more to himself than to anyone else as he took another breath to steady himself. He looked back up at Todd; it looked as if his smile was all that could ever exist. And it was, Todd thought. It was all that existed in this moment. Todd, Dirk, and his smile.

“You… always do this. You always think you’ve messed up and then run away to sulk in some corner, which I know for a fact you never did until you met me. But, Todd.” Dirk walked closer, unable to break eye contact for the first time in months. “You haven’t done that. And you never do. You’re brilliant, always saving me and helping me with nightmares or evil cults or whatever. And it’s great! You sell yourself so short, Todd. It’s really not fair.”

Dirk was standing right in front of Todd now, staring down into his face. Todd couldn’t speak; the words just weren’t there.

“I… I _really_ like you, Todd. I have forever and you always run away from any notion of it. I don’t know what you’re scared of, but it’s not that bad. You’re not bad. I want to be able to help you with this, Todd. I want to be with you, so I can help you whenever you need it.” Dirk was now grinning almost fondly down at Todd. “Please. You don’t have to run away. We can figure it out.”

Todd didn’t answer. They stood there in the rays of sunlight now filtering in from the canopy above, and somewhere along the line it registered to Dirk that he had taken Todd’s hand.

Todd didn’t seem to mind.

“Todd. Would it, be alright if I– Could I perhaps, kiss you? Right now, do you think?”

Todd didn’t answer; not with words. He thought he might have nodded, but the next thing he knew, it was already happening. It was like the end of a case, when all of the pieces fall into place at once, and everything fits and make sense.

This made sense. This worked.

The kiss broke apart, and Todd felt himself holding Dirk in an embrace, his head against his shoulder.

“Did it.” Dirk said weakly. Todd laughed.

“So. What exactly do we do now?”

“I was thinking we finish breakfast. Although I would very much like it if we could try that again later.”

When they finally made their way back to the camp minutes later, it was hand in hand. Todd was never going to hear the end of this. Maybe though, that was alright. For once, Martin didn’t comment, not aloud. As they packed up the van later in the morning, Martin patted Todd on the shoulder.

“Good job, Pup.”

Todd had to agree. It had been, hadn’t it?

* * *

_**August, Friday before the full moon** _

**Die Hard is unequivocally boring**

There were currently eight people in Todd’s living room, not including himself. The Rowdies had arrived earlier that day, all six of them already making plans for the full moon in a few days. Dirk was excited; Todd had caved, admitting that he wanted him there. He suspected that Amanda was missing spending her full moons with the Rowdies, but she hadn’t yet asked to come along. Todd suspected that she was waiting for Todd to invite her. He’d have to think on it.

Farah had plans too. Tina and Hobbs had driven over the day prior, opting to stay in a nearby hotel, and she was already discussing plans for their night out. It was probably for the best; she enjoyed their company, and hadn’t seen them properly since Todd had gotten bitten nearly six months ago.

Half a year already.

Vogel was throwing Todd’s now expansive squeaky toy collection at Beast, who was returning the fire with glee. They had only broken one lamp, though. Ever since Todd had been invited into the pack, he found that he had to replace things in his apartment much less often than before.

The Agency was another story, though

Todd was leaning back on his couch, choosing instead to sit back and let the chaos happen around him. Dirk was there, too; he was curled up into Todd, who had his arm around him. It felt right.

Todd could feel Dirk’s content heart simmering in his chest.

Outside of their bubble of peace on the couch, everyone was trying to decide on a movie.

“What’s Die Hard mean, Cross?”

“Means it’s boring. Put it back.”

“This one has a princess on it”

“What does “men who stare at goats” mean?”

“Look at the colors on this one!”

There was a cacophony of voices, each one melding into the other to make an endless stream of yelling, laughing, and whooping mixed with occasional play fighting. There was a crash, and Todd sighed as he mentally catalogued another lamp to replace. He briefly thought he heard Vogel shout an apology amidst the yelling.

“What about the movie with the candy guy?” Dirk said suddenly. Todd shifted his eyes to him.

“The what?”

“You know.” Dirk sat up straight, freeing his arms so he could talk with his usual big hand gestures. “The candy guy! The nice mayor who drove a candy car and turned into a bug!”

Todd laughed, shaking his head.

“Man, what are you talking about?”

Dirk mocked a frown, putting out his chin like a child before dissolving into a goofy grin and melting back into Todd.

“Nevermind. I’m not sure what I’m talking about either. Never really am, but that’s alright. You can filter it for me. You know, actually-”

“Dirk.” Todd wrapped his arm around Dirk just a little tighter, leaning in. “Just chill, okay? Everything’s cool.”

Dirk nodded, burying his head in the crook of Todd’s neck. His breath tickled Todd’s skin, but he didn’t move in fear of disturbing Dirk. In the middle of the room, it seemed that everyone was slowly starting to come together on a movie. By that of course he meant that Amanda had held a DVD over her head and proclaimed it the winner. Everyone else just sort of went along with it after that.

“I like that chicken. He’s trustworthy.” Said Gripps.

“What does ‘Mona’ mean, boss?”

“It’s pronounced ‘Moana’, Vogel. And you’ll see. You’ll love it, I promise.” Amanda ran her hand through Vogel’s hair as he scrambled to his makeshift nest with Beast in the corner. The two had truly become close friends. Amanda clapped her hands together as she inserted the disc. “Right! Who brought the doughnuts!”

Everyone went silent.

Dirk’s stomach twisted up, that awful, familiar gut feeling working its way through his body. He bit his lip, trying to ignore it. He didn’t want this, not now.

_Go get doughnuts._

Damn. He really did try. This was most certainly going to lead somewhere.

“I’ll go get some! The store isn’t that far really, I don’t see why it would be that much of a problem! Simple! Easy! Doughnuts!” Dirk was already off the couch, reaching for his coat and bouncing across the room.

Todd had been learning in the past month to recognize when Dirk got a hunch. It was easy once he got down the pattern. A strange, undecipherable emotion would pass through Dirk’s body, followed by an unusual amount of enthusiasm to mask what was probably worry. Todd’s stomach contracted; would Dirk be alright?

As if in answer to his question, Vogel sprang to his feet.

“Yo! Can I come?!”

Amanda turned to him, her eyebrows raised.

“Really?”

“Yeah boss! I wanna know more about Brit! Pup really likes him!” Vogel was bouncing with energy; once he set his mind on something, he became nearly as stubborn as Dirk. Amanda shared a glance with Martin, who shrugged before answering for her.

“Just try not to cause too much trouble, ya hear? Don’t wanna have to bail you out right before the moon.”

“You got it, Martin!”

Todd relaxed, falling back into his seat. It would be fine. Of _course_ it would be fine. Dirk may have had a tendency for running into trouble, but Vogel was more than capable of fighting off a dozen robbers single-handedly. Dirk would be alright as long as he stuck with Vogel. He lifted his hand, waving Dirk off as he bounded through the door with the young Rowdy at his heels.

Amanda looked around the room.

“Anyone up for a game of cards?

* * *

**Evil Shit. Shatter Their Dreams**

It was unusually dark outside, and Dirk found himself wondering why none of the streetlamps seemed to be working as he exited the Ridgeley building. The air was unusually still, and there also seemed to be a lack of the usual foot traffic; Vogel and Dirk were alone as they set off down the sidewalk. Vogel bounced as he walked, the excitement of going off somewhere making him unable to keep still.

“So where do we get doughnuts from, Brit!? Someplace fancy?!”

Dirk shook his head, still marveling at the idea that Vogel had wanted to come along. He’d never disliked Dirk, or at least he’d never been the one to directly terrorize him, but they’d never really talked much. What had been the motivation?

It didn’t matter. He just wanted to get the doughnuts and get home.

“No no. Nothing like that, Vogel. I was thinking the bakery a few blocks down. Todd rather enjoys it there.”

“You like him? Pup?”

“I. Well. Yes, of course. I’m afraid I don’t understand the question.”

“Like. Pup _really_ likes you, man! But I don’t know like, anything about you! He’s part of the pack! I wanna make him happy too!”

Dirk laughed, the sound seeming twice as loud in the quiet August air. Vogel grinned, his too-wide-smile covering his entire face as Dirk’s laughter filled up the silence. He’d made him happy! That was good; he wanted to keep doing it. If he did, maybe he could make Todd happy as well! If Todd was happy, then Amanda would be, and then it would spread like a virus.

Well, no, maybe not like a virus. He remembered Gripps telling him when he was younger that virus’ were bad. But it would spread in that sort of way. Just without the part where people get sick.

“He’s already happy, Vogel. You can relax.” Dirk slowed down, thinking over what he just said. “Actually, do you even know _how_ to relax? No offense, I mean. It’s just you seem to have this endless amount of energy, really.”

Vogel nodded.

“Yeah man! Sometimes when it’s nice out we set up camp near a lake and just like, play around all day you know?! Beast swims and Drummer pushes me in and Cross pushes _her_ in! It’s super rad! Martin plays the best music!”

“Music?”

“Mmhm! Got the coolest beats up in a box somewhere! It’s a way fun time!”

Dirk mulled this over, rounding another corner as he walked. Three months ago he never could have pictured The Rowdy 3 doing something so domestic, but he’d since seen a side of them that he’d never thought logically possible, so he could definitely picture it in his mind's eye. The morning with Todd last month, after he found out they were Bonded, was a side of them he hadn’t thought existed. Instead of yelling and breaking things, it had been more talking, laughing, and only minimal damage.

Vogel had been stumbling around that morning, barely finding the energy to stand. Martin had ushered him gently to the van, and Cross had sat with him while they’d cleaned up the rubbish in the clearing. Even on the van ride back to the Ridgely, Vogel had curled up next to Gripps before falling asleep.

It was soft. He _, Vogel,_ was soft. Which, considering he was one of the most chaotic people Dirk knew and quite literally used to ambush him when he slept behind dumpsters, was a wild concept. He was older than Amanda by two or three years, but his spirit seemed to be much younger and enthusiastic at the core.

Dirk Gently, taking a liking to The Rowdy 3. His past self would have keeled over by now.

“Vogel.” Dirk approached the next topic carefully, his voice guarded. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, man! Fire away!”

“Well…” He trailed of. “Todd, mentioned. That you were bitten. Like, he was. How… did that happen, exactly?”

Vogel slowed down his pace. For a moment, Dirk feared that he’d hit a nerve. Upon seeing Vogel’s face though, it appeared that he was instead thinking hard. His face screwed up as he went through his brain, trying to come up with an appropriate answer. No one had ever asked him before; Amanda had found out through Gripps.

“I don’t know, man. It was like, a super long time ago, you know! I was always asking ‘cause it’s like, way rad, you know?! They’re wolves! I got hurt way back and asked Martin!” Vogel puffed out his chest a little bit, prideful. “Drummer says I’m her favorite wolf!”

“You… chose to?”

“Yup! Why?!”

Dirk didn’t answer; he had gotten an idea. It was a bad idea. No, it was a terrible idea. He couldn’t possibly act on it; even his hunches were telling him that. He would have to think more on this tonight after the movie. He shrugged in response to Vogel, barely remembering to respond in the first place.

Speaking of hunches, his stomach had just taken a sharp right. He stopped dead, the whole universe seeming to scream silently at him. Something had gone very, very wrong. Or rather, something was going to. Maybe it was going wrong at this very moment. Tenses were difficult, but the vague feeling of intense unease had become overwhelming all at once. Vogel stopped too, smelling Dirk’s anxiety. He looked back at him.

The hunch seemed familiar.

_Alley._

This was the problem with Dirk’s hunches; he could never quite figure out exactly what they meant. This one was clearer than others, but what on earth did the alleyway next to him have to do with anything? Was he supposed to avoid it, or perhaps investigate it’s contents?

In the end, he decided on the latter. It would be fine. If he did find something, he could bring it to Todd and Farah to show them; and if he didn’t, he could go and pick up the doughnuts. Dirk squeezed the Panic Pete in his pocket.

He wasn’t quite sure when or how Mona had snuck into his pocket, but he was grateful all the same. She was great to have around during stress.

“Yo! Man! Wait!” Vogel ran after Dirk as he entered the dark alleyway. Dirk looked around, his body tense.

There wasn’t anything there, unless old planks in a dumpster was a sign of something unusual, there was nothing. Dirk relaxed. Turning to Vogel, he plastered a smile on his face.

“Why are we down here, Brit?”

“Nothing. I just thought… I just thought nothing. I must have been imagining things. We should go get those doughnuts.”

But Vogel had frozen, staring back in the direction from where they’d came. Vogel stepped back into Dirk, making him stumble as he followed his gaze. He saw a man step out of the shadows.

“Well look at that. Ya’ll’dv’e thought you’d’ve stopped going out in smaller groups by now.”

Dirk’s body went rigid. He knew that voice. He knew it. They couldn’t possibly be here; not now. Any time but now. His breath caught in his throat, blinking as his head started to spin. Dirk didn’t move, though; he couldn’t make himself if he tried. He nearly let out a whimper as he met the gaze of Mr. Osmund Priest.

No. No no no. This couldn’t be happening. Everything was fine. It was happy. He was with Todd, and he had just made friends with The Rowdy 3 after sixteen years. He had a steady job, a place to sleep.The Agency was booming! It was everything he’d ever wanted. _Todd liked him._

Dirk realized that his breathing had sped up an unhealthy amount.

“Now now. Let’s not work ourselves up. No need for this to get violent. This doesn’t have to be bad for you.” Priest took a step into the alleyway, and Vogel pushed Dirk back as he himself took a step back. “Why. We could have a grand little picnic by the end of this.”

Priest let out a laugh, but it was unlike any other sound that could be made by another human being. It was a sound that only he could make, and Dirk felt his heart ice over. Behind him, Dirk could see the green lights of soldiers’ guns.

“Hey, Jacob.” Priest addressed Vogel in a singsong voice. “You wanna go home? We got a spot saved up for you and the rest of the pack. No bathtubs round here to save ‘ya, boy.”

“Screw off!” Vogel’s resolve was different than usual, altered. It was wavering, and if Dirk had been able to focus, he would have found himself wondering what had happened between the two previously. Here was another way he’d never seen Vogel act: terrified.

“Oh?”

“Yeah! Yeah! Just… just screw off. Just…” Vogel trailed off.

“Now that’s no way to talk to someone like me.” He took a few more steps into the alleyway, and Vogel and Dirk were now up against the wall. Dirk wasn’t afraid to admit that he felt like cowering. Actually, that seemed like the smartest course of action to him; Priest would go easiest if he was in that position. He knew that as a fact from past experiences. “We’ve got to teach you some manners, Jacob.”

Vogel let out a strangled yell and launched himself at Priest. His attack was no more than a fleeting dream, though; this time, Priest seemed to be expecting it. He was met with a faceful of gas, and a hyperventilating Dirk watched as his body fell to the ground. Without Vogel’s support on his arm, Dirk fell. His panic wasn’t just threatening to overtake him; it was the only emotion he seemed to possess.

Todd.

He needed Todd. Could Todd feel him? Could he save him?

No. No that couldn’t happen. He couldn’t let him anywhere near Priest. That would never happen; not as long as he was alive. That probably wouldn’t be too long of a time, though.

“Todd.” His voice was quiet, and the name barely came out above a whisper. What would he think?

“Now, Svlad. Are we gonna have a problem here?” Priest crouched down, looking Dirk in the face. Dirk couldn’t respond; he couldn't even catch his breath. “You’re mighty hard to track down. You might even be getting good at this.”

Nothing; Dirk didn’t respond. Priest frowned.

“Honestly, Svlad. It’s only polite to answer.” Priest stood up, looking down at Dirk with a bored sort of pity. “Am I gonna have to teach you this all over again?”

There was a sharp pain in Dirks stomach, and he gasped as he doubled over. Kicked. He had been kicked.

“Get up, Svlad. I don’t have all night.” Priest kicked him again, catching him on his shoulder with his steel-toed boot. Dirk screamed, earning a laugh out of the man towering above him. “I’m not here to play games with you.”

Priest stepped on Dirk’s arm, and he heard a very defined snap that was mingled with more cries. Tears were running down his face uncontrollably; why did it hurt so much? He bent down, grabbing a fistful of Dirk’s collar and pulling him up. Dirk whimpered as he was pulled, and thrown, down the alley. He hit his head on the way down, and in his dazed state was able to register the blood dripping down his temple. He could see the vague outline of Mona as she fell from his pocket.

A loud shot rang off, and Dirk felt a white hot pain in his thigh.

“Are we gonna answer this time, Svlad?”

“That’s, not, my name.”

“Oh?”

Priest tilted his head, smiling at the way Dirk scowled at him from his place on the dirt-covered pavement.

“Now then.” He laughed once more, his head leaning back to the star speckled sky. “You really are something, Icarus. But this has gone on long enough.”

Priest walked over to him, looking over the man as he lay bleeding on the ground. He scowled, whispering to Dirk.

“It’s time for little Svlad Cjelli to go home.”

A cloud of white gas obscured his vision, and the last thing Dirk registered before he passed out was the taste of metal in his mouth. 


	2. Hope You’re Not Religious Because This Priest Isn’t Orthodox

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! We're glad you've made it to the next chapter, however we need to warn you, this one has major character death. Got that?
> 
> WARNING: WE MURDER A MAIN CHARACTER!
> 
> But, we promise, there is a happy ending! Swear! Well, maybe a bit of a ways off, this is only part 2 of 3 after all.
> 
> But hope you like it! More is coming after this!

**Panic at the Apartment**

“Full house!”

“You can’t have a full-house in Go Fish, Gripps.”

“Guys,” Amanda cut in, “we’re playing UNO. It says it on all of the cards.”

Todd laughed as he watched the game from the couch. He glanced quickly at the clock and reminded himself that everything would be fine. Dirk had Vogel and the doughnut shop wasn’t that far of a walk. He stood and headed into the kitchen to see if he could find himself a beer when the feeling returned.

_Hunch._

Todd stopped in the kitchen, searching for another feeling. Was everything okay? It was only a couple of blocks, how could the universe have decided to give Dirk a hunch on the way to the shop?

“Todd, you okay?” Amanda called from the living room. He looked up realizing that he had stopped in the middle of walking, standing awkwardly just before the kitchen.

“I don’t know, I think Dirk just got a hunch.” Todd said. Cross snorted lightly.

“Bond buddies. Too cute.” He said, taking a drink as he collected the cards from the round. Todd shook the feeling off and continued forward. A soft wave of relaxation washing over him as he grabbed a glass from the shelf.

Todd registered the shattering sound before he registered the panic that sent him to the floor, the glass having shattered when he tried to make a fist.

“Todd!” Amanda was up and running around the counter while the others stood.

“Todd, what just happened?” she asked, carefully stepping to avoid the glass shards and grabbing a towel for the blood that was starting to pool in Todd’s palm.

“I don’t know. It’s Dirk, he’s panicking. Something’s wrong.” he felt his own pulse quicken as Dirk’s fear overwrote his own emotions.

“Wrong how?” Martin asked. He had followed Amanda into the kitchen and was watching as Amanda carefully pulled glass shards from Todd’s hand.

“It feels like, he’s spiraling, like something has him terrified.” Todd could feel the want to hide in a corner, to run, but there was nowhere to run.

“They’re trapped.” Todd could feel tears starting to roll down his cheeks. He had never experienced this level of fear. Whatever Dirk could see that Todd couldn’t was going to make him have a heart attack. Todd tried to stand only to be knocked back down by a sharp pain in his stomach. What was that? Had Dirk just been punched? Another sharp pain bloomed in his shoulder and then in his arm, he could have sworn he felt something snap.

“They’re attacking Dirk.” Todd growled pushing through the pain and pulling himself up using the counter, Amanda hovering next to him.

“Who?” Amanda asked, the panic was spreading.

“Who do you think?” Martin growled. He turned to the others.

“Let’s go, boys! Drummer, Rainbow, stay here. Todd with us.” Todd took a step forward when a new searing pain tore through his leg. He let out a pained cry, clutching at his thigh as Martin caught him preventing him from falling forward. Another pain ignited in his head but the pain in his leg, what was clearly a bullet wound, was pushing out all the other pains.

“Dirk,” Todd whimpered as Martin pulled him into a standing position.

“Focus, we have to go before they’re gone.” The pain began to fade, and Todd was able to stand on his own. He looked up at all the pairs of eyes who were watching him.

“He’s unconscious we don’t have much time.” Todd said, his voice cracking as he looked at Martin. Todd and Martin shared a look. They knew that if they had been able to inflict that much pain on Dirk, that Vogel had already been taken out. They all raced down out of the apartment and out into the night.

 

They had searched for nearly an hour. They had traced the trail to an alley, where sure enough they found blood and signs of a fight. Martin said he could smell the knock-out gas that Blackwing typically used. But after that they couldn’t trace the scents. It was like they had vanished.

They arrived back to the apartment and were greeted by Farah, Tina, Hobbs, and surprisingly Mona.

“Todd!” Mona shouted as soon as he walked through the door. She raced over and wrapped him in a tight hug.

“Todd, it was Priest. He appeared, and took them.” Todd had heard of Priest, it was impossible not to have. Dirk was terrified of him, the Rowdies were terrified of him, even the brief moments he’d had with Mona had proven that all of the former Blackwing subjects all held an unhealthy terror of the Priest person.

Farah hated Priest.

For the obvious reason that he made all of their friends anxious messes, but also because he had knocked her unconscious and if there was one thing Farah could do, it was hold a grudge against someone who beat her in a fight.

“Okay, well that’s really bad. Mona, did you see where they went?” Mona shook her head, worry clouding her features.

“More men came, and took Dirk and the little Rowdy and then they were gone. I came back here right after.” Todd looked around Mona over to Farah who seemed to read his mind.

“I’ve called Eddie. He’s working it on his side. As soon as he has anything he’ll let us know.”

They had to wait. No one had said it, but everyone knew. There was nothing they could do until Dirk and Vogel were taken where ever they were going. None of them really knew where Blackwing even was. Dirk had described it as brown, and flat and hot, unfortunately that described far too many deserts to narrow it down.

“In the meantime,” Farah continued, “We can’t stay here. Blackwing is more than likely looking for you four as well.” She gestured to Mona and the other Rowdies.

“Wait, where can we go?” Amanda asked, looking between Farah, Martin, and Todd. Todd glanced up at Martin who seemed to have the same idea.

“We know a place. Come on, everyone into the van.” Todd said, moving back towards the door. He felt a twitch at this wrist and looked down to see that he had suddenly acquired a watch, Mona nowhere to be seen. Tina and Hobbs jumped slightly but didn’t say anything. Farah made everyone leave their phones, stating that she didn’t want to make it easier for the CIA to trace their movements. Once they were sure none of them had any electronic devices they raced down the stairs and out into the van. They all just barely fit.

Farah had requested to be dropped off at what looked like an abandoned warehouse, taking Tina and Hobbs with her and making Todd write down the directions to get to the forest spot. Todd watched through the back window as they vanished into the warehouse while Todd and the others headed up and out of the city.

They reached the campsite in record time and piled out into the night air. Todd only making it a few feet before sitting with his back against front wheel of the van.

Blackwing had Dirk. Again.

He should have gone with him. He shouldn’t have let him go at all.

Todd closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the smells of the forest filling his nose. Why couldn’t the universe just leave them alone? Dirk already did so much, followed all of the hunches, even the one that had lead to him getting captured tonight, but still the universe took, and took, and took.

He leaned his head back and stared up at the stars as they shone over head. He wondered if reality could see him, glaring up at it, daring it to try something else.

That’s when the screaming started.

Todd jumped to his feet and watched as Amanda fell to the ground crying down at her hands and a pain only she could see. The other Rowdies were already moving, blue light beginning to seep from Amanda, but she kept screaming, her breathing becoming strained and ragged. Todd rushed over, careful to avoid the blue light.

“Amanda!” He called watching as her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed onto her side. The light faded and Todd swooped in, carefully cradling her in his arms.

“No, Amanda. No, come on. Wake up.” But she remained motionless, her breaths shallow and too far apart. Todd glanced up at the others, watching as Martin frowned in confusion.

“Why isn’t she waking up?” Todd asked, his voice cracking as he looked back down at Amanda. As the seconds ticked by, his panic grew, because with each passing moment, Amanda remained unconscious.

* * *

**The interconnectedness of stupidity**

Amanda’s eyes snapped open and she was met by the familiar dancing blues and whites of the universe.

“Oh my god! There’s like, an actual person!” A voice near her feet drew her attention as she sat up slowly. Not too far off stood a man, a rather familiar looking man, with a dumb smile on his face.

“You!” Amanda shouted, pushing herself to her feet. The man waved and moved towards her.

“Hi! Yeah, me and, and you! You’re like, real! Not just– not real!” Did he really just forget the word imaginary? Amanda glared over at him as he got closer.

“You held a gun to my head. You tried to kidnap my friends! You– wait, what are you doing here?” Amanda felt the universe hum around her, almost pleadingly, to take this person far away. But Amanda wasn’t really there, she couldn’t, could she?

“I don’t know. Really. I got like, stabbed, and then Ken like, pushed me through this, thing, in the floor. That, um, that Dirk Gently guy was there and that Mona Wilder chick, and the coma dude, um Project Moloch.” Amanda gaped at him.

“You mean, during the Wendimoor thing?”

“Maybe? That sounds right.” He said, looking up at the lights as they hummed louder. Amanda could have sworn that she heard someone say ‘yes, idiot’.

“Okay, well that was months ago.” The man nodded, looking back down at her.

“I know! It’s been _so_ boring. Just like, sitting, and _thinking_ , and watching through the,” he waved around him, “the windows or whatever.”

Amanda couldn’t stop gaping. This had been the guy in charge of Blackwing? This guy? Seriously? The universe hummed in agreement and then faded away, being pulled to another task.

“But like, now you’re here, and we can like talk, or something, before you leave. I’m just so–”

“Wait.” He stopped, watching her as she thought.

“You used to run Blackwing. You know where it is.” Amanda said, poking him in the chest with her index finger. He seemed far more startled by the contact than Amanda would have thought, but he nodded his head.

“I do. I do know that.”

“Tell me.”

“What? Why?” He frowned as Amanda continued to glare at him.

“Because. Blackwing just took Dirk and Vogel. Tell me where they are!” She grabbed tight to the front of his shirt and pulled him in close. He let out a surprised yelp but nodded his head quickly.

“Sure thing, can do. New Mexico, uh, Dulce, New Mexico. There’s an old base there that everyone thinks is shut down, it’s not, that’s where Blackwing is.”

“How do we get in?”

“Well, I mean you can’t really–”

“How asshole!?” Amanda pulled him closer still as she shouted. He closed his eyes and nodded again.

“There’s a guard rotation at the front gate. Every hour they switch out. If you were to get there on the hour and catch them in the middle of the rotation you would be able to knock them all out and get in. You’ll need their key cards to get through the front doors and they should also get you into the main areas. But there are more guards inside–”

“Not a problem. Where will they be keeping Dirk and Vogel?” Amanda said, her grip on his shirt loosening slightly.

“Um–” The universe hummed loudly and both Friedkin and Amanda glanced up as the humming increased in urgency.

“Shit, I’m waking up. Where are they?” Friedkin glanced back down and sure enough Amanda was beginning to fade away.

“Um, they’ll be in their cells, center of the facility. But you won’t be able to get to them, you’ll need an army.” Amanda glanced down at her hands and watched as they faded in and out and laughed.

“We don’t need an army. We have Farah.”

Amanda’s eyes snapped open to not just the Rowdies looking down at her, but Todd and Farah, Tina, and Hobbs who had apparently caught up. How long had she been out?

“Oh my god, Amanda are–”

“I know where they are.” Amanda cut Todd off as she sat up, feeling the stiffness in her muscles.

“What?” Todd asked, trying to help her to her feet. Amanda dusted off her jeans and looked around the group.

“I know where they’re taking Dirk and Vogel.”

* * *

_**Saturday, The Day Before the Full Moon** _

**What are you gonna do? Break my nose again?**

The fluorescent lights flooding the room were burning its image into his retinas, and the effect had only made his headache worse. That was just his head, though; Dirk felt as if his chest was going to burst from the pressure. There was a crushing sort of fear there. It was the familiar drowning sensation that overwhelmed him when things got too out of control. It hadn’t gotten this bad since the Wendimoor case though, and he wasn’t sure what to do with the emotions burning a hole through his chest.

The last few hours – or perhaps it had been longer than that – was a mess of blurry events scattered with what he was pretty sure was terror. It’s what made the most sense. He couldn’t clearly recall the emotions he’d been experiencing up until now, but he doubted it was happiness.

_Todd._

A pang of sadness made him gasp. Could Todd feel him here? Dirk could feel him. He reached out and grabbed tight to the sadness and closed his eyes. Maybe if he tried hard enough he could imagine Todd. Holding him, telling him it would be okay.

There it was; the feeling was threatening to overtake him again.

He had to focus.

He recalled being brought into the medical ward in bits and pieces. There had been a lot of shouting, most of it done by the same voice. Needles, too. Needles and bandages and a small, unconscious figure on the bed next to his. Was that Vogel?

Another pang, this time guilt, rocked his body.

Was he okay? He had been transferred as Vogel had been waking up; he couldn’t even check on the boy to make sure he was okay. What if they had hurt him beyond repair? This wasn’t something that Vogel even remotely deserved. The image of the carefree, playful wolf from the month before flooded his mind. Vogel didn’t belong here, not like Dirk.

Dirk groaned and flopped down onto the uncomfortable mattress. Certain things about Blackwing always stayed the same, no matter when they captured him. He was always alone. He was always bored. And the mattress was always uncomfortable. No matter what though, he always deserved it.

That’s what he got, he guessed, for always getting people hurt.

He never should have let Vogel come with him. He never should have followed his hunch. Dirk closed his eyes, and behind his eyelids he almost thought he could see Todd.

The sadness softened and Dirk swore he heard his name.

He blinked his eyes back open as a horrible mechanical sound filled the room, and turned his head to be greeted by an unwelcome surprise. The door to his room was open and there were two guards standing in the door. They looked just as they had last time he was here; it was as if no time has passed at all.

“Project Icarus. You are required for testing.” The taller of the guards said. Dirk looked over, not moving from his laying down position as he looked over the guards. He thought he could make out a shadow in the darkness behind them.

“I don’t quite feel like testing today. Thank you.” The guards glanced between them as if this was the first time a subject had ever said no. “I’ve just got here. Check back with me when I can think properly.”

“Supervisor Adams says you are required to report for testing.” The other said.

“Well you can tell Ken to go take a long walk off a short pier. I’m not going.” He rolled away from the door, facing the far wall, hoping to the universe that the guards would leave.

The universe has never been kind.

“Now Icarus. Don’t tell me you’re denying a direct order. Thought you’d know better.” The voice that haunted all of Dirk’s nightmares sounded behind him. His body went rigid without him evening thinking about it, and that little ball of panic exploded in his stomach again. Not again. Not now. His body was still throbbing from their last encounter.

“Get up, and come along now.”

It’s not that Dirk didn’t want to move, he couldn’t. Priest always had a way of immobilizing him like no other; which was rather unhelpful, because ignoring what he said just led to more consequences. There was the sound of boots on the floor and suddenly Dirk was on the ground, the mattress having been flipped from the frame. His chin hit the cold floor, and Dirk felt his teeth rattle painfully.

“Don’t make me ask twice, Icarus.” Priest stalked around the frame and grabbed tight to the back of Dirk’s coveralls. He pulled Dirk up, who stumbled out of his grasp and fell onto the wall.

“Please,” Dirk pleaded, “It doesn’t work the way you think it does. You’re tests aren’t going to show anything. Please–” all of the air left Dirk as Priest punched him in the stomach, doubling him over in pain. Dirk gasped.

“I don’t remember askin’ for ya’ opinion, Icarus. I told you to move. Now move.” Priest shoved Dirk toward the door. Dirk stumbled forward and caught himself on the taller of the two guards who followed Priest’s example and shoved him into the hallway.

The hallway too was the same as before. There was a draft coming from somewhere, and Dirk’s thin uniform provided no warmth from it. The guard gripped him up by the back of his collar again; they were rougher than he remembered.

Maybe it was just the presence of Priest.

There were instances like these from his childhood, though they were difficult to remember. He could recall the abject terror of failing his tests, knowing they would send Priest in if they decided his progress was too slow. It was terrifying to a child. He’d learned to wake at the very sound of Priest’s boots approaching, how to curl himself up so that he would get the minimum on his brutal blows. He’d never really met the other children during his first stay here, but he’d imagine they’d been the same way.

He couldn’t think of many tests they would have him do right out of the hospital ward. His head was still throbbing painfully, so any electrical shocks were out of the question unless they were trying to kill him. The sensory deprivation chamber? Maybe, but Dirk couldn’t swim. Blackwing was uncaring, but they at least needed their subjects alive.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought he heard Todd again.

Dirk’s mind often had a problem with making quick, seemingly unrelated connections. It was an annoying habit, but he’d learned to live with it. His next train of thought therefore wasn’t very surprising to him, but the outcome made him dizzy.

Todd. Bonded. Werewolf. Vogel.

Full moon.

The full moon was soon; that’s why the Rowdies had come by again in the first place. Everyone had been looking forward to it, which Todd had informed him would be a first. He’d been looking forward to sharing the experience, the full one, with him. They had even taken the liberty of picking out a spare change of clothes for Todd to store in the van, along with their own blankets to replace the tattered ones that the Rowdies used. Vogel had been talking about it ever since he’d pulled up. Now Todd would be alone for it.

It was alright, though. Dirk would be alone too.

Just like always.

Another thought hit him, rather like a brick in the face. Vogel. He would be alone, too. Had the boy ever actually been on his own for a full moon? He sincerely doubted it; The Rowdy 3 were his family. All six of them. Even when he had been on the run, Amanda had still been there to comfort him.

Well that was just like him, wasn’t it? Ruining people’s lives. He’d taken away Vogel’s family. If he ever saw The Rowdy 3 again, he doubted he would be able to make up for this.

Hell, Vogel probably wouldn’t forgive him either if given the chance. Not that he deserved it.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by another source of bright lights flooding the hallway. Dirk didn’t bother looking behind him to know that Priest was gearing up to follow him in. What sort of test warranted Priest as a guard? Walking in the room, he got his answer for him.

He almost would have breathed a sigh of relief if not knowing that Priest was behind him. What were they playing at?

Ken Adams was standing by a table, smiling as they walked in. It put Dirk on edge.

“Svlad. Take a seat.”

Dirk’s stomach contracted. He opened his mouth to correct him, but he was much too aware of Priest’s proximity for comfort. He shut his mouth, still not having moved. Ken raised his eyebrows.

“A seat isn’t going to hurt you, Svlad. We’re all friends here.”

This time, Dirk raised _his_ eyebrows. He clearly recalled their last encounter to be less than friendly, unless shooting him in the leg counted as friendship. Coincidentally, this was the second time in a row that he talked to Ken with a bullet wound in his thigh. The universe had a sick sense of humor. He wondered if he could get someone to talk to it about that. Dirk approached the chair, trying to minimize his obvious limp, and pulled out the chair.

He felt sick.

“I apologize for the inconvenience, Icarus. It’s taken us longer than we thought to subdue Project Incubus, otherwise we would have talked to you hours ago.” Ken sat across from him, Priest standing by his side. Dirk’s head perked up.

“You mean Vogel? What did you do to him? Is he alright? Where is he-”

“We aren’t here to discuss Project Incubus, Svlad. We’re here about you.” Ken clasped his hands together and rested them on the table. “Although if you don’t want to cooperate I can just send you to testing instead.”

Dirk went quiet, prompting Ken to smile.

“You escaped roughly seven months ago. In that time you managed to close a dimensional gateway, stop several alien incursions, and rescue not one, but four heiresses from various scenarios, the most notable involving a rocket launcher and a flamingo. Correct?”

“Well–”

“And in that time, you managed to evade capture, more than likely with the help of Farah Black and her connections. Correct?”

“See the thing is –”

“In those seven months, has anything outside of the normal bounds of your life occured?”

Dirk bit his tongue.

“Thought so. Here’s how this is going to work. You’re going to do what we say, when we say it, or we will ensure that Todd Brotzman never sees the light of day again. And I can’t imagine his monthly, rituals, will do so well here.”

_They know._

“Do I make myself clear?”

Dirk didn’t know what to say. They knew. Of course they knew. They always knew. Ken sighed, and gestured to Priest. Priest moved faster than Dirk could register, grabbing the back of his head and slamming it down on the table.

“I repeat. Are we clear, Svlad?”

“Crystal.” Dirk said, holding his surely broken nose.

“Splendid. Now, where are Project Lamia and the rest of Project Incubus?” Ken said, a cold smile pulling the corner of his lips up slightly.

Had Mona escaped? Dirk could faintly recollect her falling out of his pocket at one point – damn it, they’d taken his yellow jacket again – but he would have thought that she would have been picked up. That was the assumption he’d been living with since he’d woken up, anyway. If she’d gotten away, she would have gone back to the apartment. And if they hadn’t found the rest of the Rowdies, that meant they’d made a run for it.

He felt like laughing; perhaps he was starting to lose it. Blackwing hadn’t gotten anyone else yet. He would have to thank Mona when he saw her.

His injuries told him that he may not have that opportunity, though.

“Do I need to rephrase the question?” Ken asked, his voice cool and monotone.

“No, I– I heard you.” Dirk said. He could feel Priest hovering over his shoulder.

“Well? I’m waiting.” Ken had yet to drop eye contact through the entire conversation.

“I’m not sure. You’re the government, you track everyone, you’ve even got people reading people’s computers while they work. If anyone knew it would be you.” Dirk said, watching as Ken took a slow breath, blinking as he did.

“I know where they were. I want to know where they are going. Tomorrow is the full moon afterall. I’m sure they have somewhere where they go to get away from people.”

“I don’t know, I’ve never been.” Dirk lied.

“Really? You’ve never been? Not even once?” Ken asked, his eyebrows raising slightly.

“No, I’m, I’m not allowed. It’s wolves only.” Dirk felt Priest move in closer.

“Are you lying to me, Svlad?” Ken asked.

“Of course not. Why would I lie? What do I have to gain from lying to you? Another broken nose?” Priest grabbed his shoulder, a warning against petulence. Dirk took a breath and looked at Ken.

“I’m not lying. Ask Vogel if you don’t believe me.” Ken nodded his head, glancing up at Priest.

“Very well, that will be all for now. I do look forward to being able to speak with you again soon, Svlad.” Ken rose and left Dirk and Priest alone in the room.

Dirk didn’t breathe. He’d probably need to soon, since he suspected he may be having trouble doing so in a second. He had only been left alone with Priest in this way twice in his entire life. Sure, the man used to be sent to his room a lot, but that was different. That was a punishment. This was different; they had reserved an entire room specifically to leave them in. The last time that happened, Dirk had been on morphine for a month.

He had been a lot smaller back then. Now Priest had a lot more surface area to work with.

“Ken is a riot, ain’t he?” Priest’s speech was slow, drawing out in a dangerous way. “Do you know he assigned me to you specifically?”

Dirk didn’t answer; he thought his heart was going to jump right out of his chest. His stomach had twisted rather suddenly again, and that horrible hunch from the alleyway was back. He recognized what the hunch was now; he couldn’t believe he’d ever forgotten it. The only hunch that remained the same no matter how old he got.

_Priest. Danger._

Priest was never really liked by the universe.

Dirk’s mouth was dry, but for the first time today, he found it in himself to answer him.

“O- Oh? Did he?”

Priest nodded, smiling down at Dirk.

“Said you’d act out, Icarus. I told him you wouldn’t, but no arguing with the supervisor, I guess.” Priest laughed, sending chills down Dirk’s spine. He pulled out the chair Dirk was sitting in, leaning down until his face was inches from Dirk’s. He still wasn’t breathing.

“Now here’s what I think.” Priest was still smiling, though his expression had now turned into a terrifying grin. He grabbed the front of the chair suddenly, pulling it forward so that he and Dirk were nose to nose. “I think you’ve been being just a little bit untruthful, Icarus.”

Dirk was breathing again, but his ragged breathing pattern made his chest hurt as the panic exploded in his head. He couldn’t look away. Looking away would be bad.

“I’ve been tracking you for three weeks, Svlad. You think I don’t know about your little Brotzman? All bonded up.” Priest let out a single laugh. “That’s what it is, isn’t it?”

Dirk swallowed. This seemed to be just the answer Priest had wanted.

“Now, that’s what I thought. Every Bond spends the moons together. So tell me.” Priest gripped Dirk by the collar. “Why are you lying?”

Priest threw Dirk back. The chair flipped backwards, and Dirk’s head connected with the hard floor again. Three times in twenty four hours; he really must inquire about that.

“I know you’re lying, Icarus. Just ‘cause Ken don’t know don’t mean you can get away with it.” The heavy footsteps approached again. Dirk tried to crawl away but was turned over on his back. Priest towered over him, and Dirk felt a whimper leave his lips. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t handle it. Priest laughed; he was holding something in his hands now.

“Aw, come on now. Can’t give up already. Won’t be any fun for me.”

Priest stepped on his stomach. It wasn’t enough to damage anything, but the pressure made him curl into himself as he cried out. Priest stepped down harder; he seemed to enjoy it when Dirk screamed.

“Got more guts than you used to, don’t you? Boyfriend’s done you good.” Priest moved his foot. “I’ll send him my regards.”

Dirk could hear his name again. Perhaps it was the concussion, but he could clearly hear someone crying out his name. It was a familiar voice, a comforting one. But his head was no longer clear enough to give it an identity.

Priest bent down, looking at Dirk with a bored sort of smile.

“Think you’ve learned by now.”

Dirk felt a pain in his shoulder – gosh, why was it always the shoulder – and Dirk started crying. It was as if the white hot pain from the bullet wound had returned with a vengeance, burying itself deep into his skin. Through the tears, Dirk could see the blurry outline of something sticking out of his shoulder. Then it was gone, and the pain only increased.

Blood. He was covered in blood.

He’d been stabbed.

He didn’t have time to process this. Priest gripped him up again, slamming him against the wall.

“What you’re doing is nonsense, Svlad.” Priest was almost whispering now as Dirk struggled to make sense of his words. “You ain’t no detective. You’re dangerous. A dangerous little monster always thinking he can save the day. And how did that work out? Even your little boyfriend can’t keep his life together around you.”

Priest tilted Dirk’s head back so that they were looking each other in the eyes.

“You ruin people’s lives. You get them killed. You don’t _belong_ out there.”

Priest laughed.

“What possibly lead you to think we wouldn’t find you.” He let go of Dirk, who slid down the wall. There was a bloodstain on his jumpsuit; they would have to replace it. He did a once over of him, his face growing bored. His radio buzzed in, and Ken’s voice came through the grating white noise.

“Project Incubus is awake. Report immediately for duty on B3.”

Priest looked back down at Dirk.

“That’s my cue, kid. I gotta leave you now.” Priest took a step back, framing the bleeding man in his mind for a second. He’d missed the feeling of what he could do to this man; he would have to inquire about it more often. Dirk was just too fun for him to leave alone.

He put his knife in his belt.

“I’ll see you soon, Svlad.”

Priest left Dirk there, not giving a second thought to if he had even been conscious to hear him say that. As the door closed behind him, the lights went out, leaving Dirk shrouded in complete darkness. The voice from earlier was back now. It was calling for him, begging him to do something. Dirk couldn’t figure out what, though.

_“Dirk. Please. Please Dirk.”_

He almost thought that, reaching out into the darkness, he could find who the voice belonged to. As his mind went quiet, he thought that the voice was trying to reach him too.

_“Hold on, Dirk. I’ll get you. I promise.”_

* * *

**The jacket gives you a self-hug**

Vogel could tell that he was in a small space, even if he couldn’t see it. It had that cramped sort of feel to it, and he was sure that if he were to get up and walk around, he would be able touch each side of the wall at the same time. Even Amanda would’ve been able to do that.

He hated small spaces like this. It wasn’t like the van, where he was surrounded by his family. He could leave the van anytime he wanted. This was different. This was a cage.

Martin had always told him he would never have to be in one again.

Vogel couldn’t move his arms; they were entangled in his sleeves, which were wrapped around his back. He wouldn’t be able to feed either. Or talk. There was something on his face, and it was keeping him from opening his mouth. He couldn’t talk. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t do anything.

He wished Martin was there. He’d keep him safe, like last time. Now he was alone.

Vogel kicked out, his feet colliding with a wall. He’d hit something, that was good. He did it again and again, intent on doing _something._ If nothing else, it would get someone’s attention, but he hoped that doing it would break the wall instead. If he broke it, he could break everything else too.

“Subject Four. Cease your engagement immediately.”

There was a voice. Vogel wasn’t sure where it was coming from, but it had strange mechanical undertones that made him suspect it was some sort of speaker. Speakers were good; speakers were breakable. Since he wasn’t able to yell or flip the mysterious voice the middle finger, he did the next best thing. He kicked the wall again.

“Subject Four. Stop or we will send someone in.”

Vogel didn’t stop. He was restless, jittery, and he was going to stay that way as long as he was like this. He needed to move around. There was a dull ache in the back of his head; he needed something to eat. The last time Amanda had had an attack was a week ago, which meant that was the last time he’d had a meal. He would have to find something before the full moon. Martin was always saying to eat well beforehand.

Were the rest of the Rowdies okay?

He could hear voices outside his door now as he continued to try and kick down the wall. They seemed tense, and Vogel could smell their emotions. It only made him hungrier.

Light flooded the room, and Vogel found that he was right. It was indeed a very small room, with what looked like reinforced walls. It was a shame; he wouldn’t be able to break through it. A shadow fell over him, and when he looked up, he saw Mr. Priest standing over him.

His stomach went cold with fear and blind anger.

“Are really gonna do this, Jacob?” Priest said, closing the door behind him. The lights stayed on. “You’ve just interrupted a very important session with Project Icarus. You know I don’t like being interrupted.”

Dirk! Dirk was alive! Vogel felt his spirits lift. Todd wouldn’t be angry with him for letting Dirk die now, because hey, he wasn’t dead! That was a start. Amanda was always saying to start things slow. Priest was going to be a problem, though.

“Now, I don’t think–” Vogel caught Priest by surprise, kicking him in the shins. Priest tripped over his feet, and the crash that followed was deafening in the small room. Vogel thought he heard him swear under his breath, and felt a laugh rise up in his throat. Now that he was on the ground too, he kicked him again, this time connecting with his face.

That felt good. He couldn’t wait to tell the others about it.

He felt a blow on his stomach; Priest had kicked back. Vogel was instinctively curled into the epicenter of it and watched as Priest wiped the blood from his face.

“Bad boy, Jacob. Didn’t your friends teach you anything in that van of theirs?”

Priest kicked him again. Vogel was curled on the ground. He bent down next to him, picking him up by his hair and pulling him up. Vogel wanted to bare his teeth at him, but he couldn’t; the contraption on his face just wouldn't let his mouth open.

“I never got to spend proper time with you last time we met. You’re a wild one, Jacob. But that don’t mean you can’t be tamed.”

Priest was holding Vogel’s upper arm with his other hand, and his grip was tight. It was too tight. Vogel kicked out, not able to make contact with Priest from the angle he was at. His arm felt like it was going to be pulled off. He fell forward, headbutting Priest.

He definitely heard Priest swear. The man jerked Vogel’s head down, and he whined as his hair nearly got pulled out of his head. He kicked the boy over against the wall, and the whole room seemed to shake.

“Now, was that a good idea, Jacob?”

Priest’s voice was dripping with malice as he rubbed his own head, staring down at Vogel. The boy was trying to catch his breath; he’d been hit right in the chest, and the wind had been knocked out of him. Priest slowed his breathing down; he didn’t have time for this. His pager buzzed.

“Is everything alright in there?” Ken’s voice came through. Priest took it off of his belt so that he could speak into it properly

“Subject Four is causing unnecessary trouble. I suggest we bring him in for a little testing to calm him down.”

“Are you sure? The stress could cause lasting damage to the subject’s abilities.”

Priest looked Vogel up and down.

“That won’t be a problem. I’ll bring him down now.”

“Priest-”

Priest ended the call, putting the device back in his belt. Light flooded the room as he pulled the door open, and Vogel had to squint his eyes. There were more voices now, and Vogel registered the barrels of guns pointed at his head as he looked up.

“Time to get up, Jacob.” Priest said, smiling wickedly. “We’re gonna go for a walk.”

* * *

**How much pain can Todd be in?**

Farah had made them sleep. Just because they knew where Blackwing was didn’t mean that they had the ability to go there at that moment. She had promised more solid plans would be made the next day and Todd was going to hold her to them.

He woke early, not early enough to beat the sun, but early enough to beat some of the other members of the group. Hobbs and Tina were passed out in the van that they had retrieved with Farah the night before, while Amanda, Beast, Cross and Gripps slept in the Rowdies’ van. Martin and Farah were up sitting around the campfire which had been restarted when Todd found them.

“So, what’s the plan?” Todd asked sitting down and looking between the two of them.

“Well, Dulce is about a days drive away. So we can probably make it in just over a day. But I need to get some stuff. I’ve got drop bags all around the city with money and weapons and supplies, we should grab a couple of them. So, I’m going to do that this morning. I’ll leave you some money to go get breakfast and then we can stop and get food supplies on the way. We probably won’t be able to leave until tonight or tomorrow, but anyone who doesn’t need to go anywhere should stay here. The less people Blackwing has the opportunity to capture the better.”

Todd didn’t love this plan. They had to wait? For almost a day? That was too long.

“Can’t we just leave now and–”

“Todd. No. We need to be as prepared as we possibly can. Rushing into this is going to get somebody killed.” Farah said, adjusting her tone to the one she used on Dirk when he tried to make unnecessary online purchases.

“She’s right, Pup. We’ve gotta be smart about this.” Martin said. Todd huffed and crossed his arms. They were right, he knew that, but he was worried. Dirk was still unconscious, but he was in pain, and Todd feared that there would be more pain to come.

“Fine. Leave tomorrow. What do we do in the meantime?” Farah stood and dusted off her pants.

“You stay here, and you rest. The full moon is tomorrow and you need to be ready for that. And then after that it’s on to breaking into a secret government facility, so, no biggie.” Farah said, walking around the fire and coming to stand next to him.

“I know you’re worried. We all are. But we need to be strong and focused, for them. Yeah?” She said. Todd nodded. Farah was always right.

“Alright. I’m going to take those two sleeping monsters and we’re going to go collect supplies. We’ll be back here no later than six, but probably earlier. If we aren’t, well, that won’t be good.” She cast a glance towards Martin who hadn’t moved.

“Right. See you soon.” Farah turned and headed towards the van she had brought, banging on the hood and startling Tina and Hobbs awake.

“We’re awake!”

“Where are the bad guys?”

“Oh relax, you two. We’re just running some errands.”

Todd could hear them asking questions as Farah hopped into the driver’s seat and headed back down the forest path. He could feel Martin’s eyes on him and he deflated slightly.

“We’re going to get them back, right?” He asked without looking.

“Ain’t nothing we can’t do, Pup.” Martin said, standing slowly and walking over to Todd, patting him on the back.

“We’ll get them both back. Ain’t nothing gonna happen that we can’t fix.” Todd nodded, watching as Martin headed back towards the van where Todd could hear Beast and Amanda beginning to stir. He glanced down at his wrist and was comforted to see that Mona was still there. If she could get away than there was a chance, a hope, that they could free the others as well. They could get Dirk back.

Todd took a seat on the log that was near the campfire and watched the flames dance across the wood.

Dirk was still asleep. He could feel the pain and the fear, but it was muted, covered by exhaustion, and what Todd could only assume was some sort of drug to keep Dirk asleep. So far there had been no new pains, which boded well, but Todd couldn’t help but worry.

Dirk.

He tried to push happier emotions out, but got the same fear and pain back. Could Dirk feel him? He wasn’t sure if the distance affected Dirk’s side of the connection but he hoped it didn’t.

Todd could hear the others moving around behind him, more than likely giving him a little bit more space than they would normally. Todd sighed and continued to watch the fire. The fear in his chest began to grow slowly and he realized that Dirk must have been waking up.

_Dirk._

Could Dirk hear him? If he thought hard enough? He pushed emotions out, with no result. Dirk began to panic and then pain in his leg told him Dirk was on the move. The panic turned to anger and the pain reduced.

“I’m going to find you.” He whispered, hoping the universe would take his message but knowing probably not.

“Morning,” Amanda said as she sat down next to Todd. He glanced over and nodded his head slightly.

“Anything new happen while we slept?” Todd shook his head.

“Nope. Farah, Tina, and Hobbs left to get some supplies and we’ll be heading out either tonight or tomorrow.” he paused. He could feel Amanda holding herself back from asking.

“He’s awake.” Todd said, casting a quick glance over at Amanda who nodded and gave him a sad smile.

“That’s good. Awake is good.” she stopped herself, trying to think about her next words. “I’m sorry this happened. We’re going to get them back though. I know it. We’ve got Farah, and like, two real cops, and a whole van full of angry werewolves. We’ll be solid.” she sounded far more confident than Todd felt.

“Wait a minute. Tina and Hobbs are the sheriff and the deputy of Bergsberg, right? So if they’re here, who’s like, watching the town?” Todd looked over, opening and closing his mouth a few times.

“Ya’ know,” he said after a moment, “I’ve never asked. It’s better not to when those two are involved.” Amanda laughed and Todd felt the sadness in his chest lessen ever so slightly.

“Well, alrighty then.” she said, nudging up against his shoulder lightly. Todd tried to capture the moment, and send it away to Dirk. But he could still feel the pain, and the anger. It would take more than a laugh with Amanda to make this better.

“Farah said she left some money, probably with Martin, for breakfast. I was thinking about walking back to that gas station we passed, wanna come along?” He asked. Todd hoped the walking and the fresh air would help relax him and in turn Dirk but he wasn’t sure. In reality, he just didn’t want to sit and wait, so if he could stretch out the activities, maybe time would go by faster.

“Sure,” Amanda said, getting to her feet. “Let’s take Beast too, anything happens she’s good in a fight. Beast!” Beast, who had been sitting in the door of the van looked up and smiled. She hopped down and raced over.

“‘Manda go somewhere?” Amanda nodded and smiled down at her.

“Yeah, we’re gonna go find breakfast. I’ll run and grab the money from Martin.” Amanda left Todd and Beast waiting near the campfire. Beast looked over at him and her eyes softened.

“Beastie sary bout Bibbit.” Todd nodded.

“Thanks Beast.” she moved forward and grabbed hold of Todd’s wrist.

“Gets em ack.” She said firmly. Todd smiled.

“I hope so.” he paused, feeling the pain in his chest. “I know we will.” Amanda reappeared holding a wad of cash.

“Alright. Who’s ready for a walk?”

 

They made it to the gas station in just over an hour, loaded up on drinks, muffins, jerky, and chips, and then made it back in about the same amount of time. The others had returned as well, and Farah was reviewing the weapons with Tina and Hobbs. They dumped their haul near the fire and Todd grabbed one of the jerky bags, heading off down the trail from the month before.

“Todd, where–”

“Just over here. I’ll shout if I need anything.” Todd said, waving back at Farah as he disappeared behind the bushes.

He was struck by how the clearing hadn’t changed. It looked exactly as it had the month before when he and Dirk had woken up there, where they had talked, and kissed, and stopped dancing around what they were. He sank to the ground and laid back, feeling the fear in Dirk’s chest.

Nothing had changed in the two or so hours it had taken to walk to and from the gas station. Dirk was still awake, he was still afraid, and he had developed quite the headache. Todd closed his eyes and tried to take some deep breaths to help alleviate the dull ache. After a few tries he sighed and went back to breathing normally, looking up at the canopy of the trees.

He felt Dirk’s heart skip a beat and the fear was replaced by an intense feeling of guilt. Why did Dirk feel guilty? He hadn’t done anything. Todd tried to send reassurance to him but the guilt remained.

“Dirk, it’ll be okay.” He whispered, hoping beyond hope that he could hear him somehow. He had never really asked Martin if bonds worked that way, but there were times when Todd thought he could hear Dirk, in the night when he had a particularly bad nightmare, or when he got excited and came to find him. He wasn’t sure if it was real words or just impressions, but he hoped that somehow Dirk could hear him.

The emotions shifted again, from guilt and sadness to annoyance and not for the first time Todd wished he could be there with him, to help him through whatever was causing him grief.

Panic.

Todd sat up. It was the same panic from before, when they had been taken. Something was about to happen. A moment later pain bloomed in Todd’s chin and he gasped reaching up to feel for an injury he didn’t have. The fear continued to increase and then a sharp pain in the stomach sent Todd back onto his back. That had definitely been a punch, Todd was gasping as he felt Dirk start walking.

The dread building in his chest told him that Dirk was going nowhere good.

Todd tried to call out but he couldn’t move, he couldn’t speak, Dirk’s fear holding him in unmovable silence.

_Dirk, it’ll be okay._

Nothing.

He laid there as Dirk moved a thousand miles away, fear of pain pushing him forward. And then he stopped, and the emotion changed. It was still afraid, but there was more. Defiance, perhaps?

Todd thought he could hear a voice in the distance but it was quickly replaced by one singular thought.

_They know._

They know what? He wanted to try to push back put his nose erupted in pain. Todd cried out, sitting up and clutching at his nose. He couldn’t hear the others call out his name as more voices filled his head.

_“I repeat. Are we clear, Svlad?”_

_“Crystal.”_

Todd could feel the rage. Dirk hated that name, he hated that name more than he hated Blackwing if it was possible. And Dirk was there, having to listen to people call him it over and over again.

“Todd? What happened?” It was Farah who had made it over first, crouching next to Todd as he held his perfectly fine nose.

“They’re interrogating him. They know, something.” Farah glanced behind him, more than likely at the others who had followed her over but Todd wasn’t paying attention.

Dirk was lying.

The fear and the pain was all still there, but there was something covering all those emotions, a different kind of panic, and that panic was making him lie. God, Todd wished he knew more of what was going on. Why was Dirk lying? What did Blackwing know?

The terror spiked in his chest and he could have sworn he felt someone’s hand on his shoulder. He shied away from Farah as she reached for his arm.

“Todd, you have to breathe. You’re not breathing.” Todd could barely hear her, she sounded so far away. He needed to focus on Dirk. Whatever was happening was tearing him apart.

_Hunch._

The same hunch from the night before, but stronger and more urgent. The person who had taken them, the person who had ruined everything, that person was there. And Dirk was terrified.

_“Why are you lying?”_

More pain in the back of his head and then everything started to spin. Todd didn’t realize that the symptoms of a concussion could bleed through the connection but sure enough he found it harder and hard to focus. More pain appeared on his stomach and he could have sworn he heard Dirk screaming. Todd curled in on himself as Farah desperately called his name. The terrifying voice from a moment before returned.

_“Got more guts than you used to, don’t you? Boyfriend’s done you good. I’ll send him my regards.”_

“Dirk!” Had that been out loud? The way Farah jerked away from him suggested that it had been.

White hot pain erupted in Todd’s shoulder and this time he knew he had screamed out loud. He could feel something sharp buried under the skin and then just as quickly be removed. Dirk had just been stabbed.

_“You ruin people’s lives. You get them killed. You don’t belong out there.”_

“Dirk, no!” Todd had fallen back and was crying up at the trees. He could distantly feel Farah at his side and briefly registered that Amanda had appeared as well.

Dirk was fading in and out of consciousness. The terror and the pain sending him quickly into shock.

_Dirk. Please. Please, Dirk._

_Hold on, Dirk. I’ll get you. I promise._

And then Dirk was gone again.

* * *

**This is why we can’t have nice things**

The early morning light was filtering in through the blinds, and it was falling right on Todd’s face. Dirk had awoken first, and instead of moving to make himself something to help him get up, he’d opted instead for watching Todd sleep. Not in a creepy vampire sort of way (did those exist? Todd was a werewolf, after all. So who knew), but in the way that Dirk had done for ages. He couldn’t be blamed, really. Todd was always so stressed; seeing him looking so peaceful gave Dirk a heavy amount of satisfaction. The serenity that came from Todd as he dreamt was irresistible.

Could Todd feel what Dirk did as he slept too? It was probable, but he’d never really asked. Dreams were never really something they discussed. Dirk was absolutely certain however that Todd had figured out the cause of the recent drop in Dirk’s nightmares.

Good. He didn’t want to spell it out for him. Not that he was actually sure how.

Todd blinked, his eyes still clouded with sleep as he registered Dirk in front of him. He smiled, reaching to move the hair out of Dirk’s eyes.

“Good morning.”

Dirk took Todd’s hand, holding it as it played with Dirk’s hair.

“Good morning, darling.”

Dirk could feel Todd’s hesitation to leave the bed, and Dirk had to admit he felt the same way. It was one of those rare, beautiful moments that you never really, truly forget; one that you kept in your back pocket for when days got bad. He never wanted it to end, and neither, apparently, did Todd.

“Please tell me you haven’t been up early again. I swear you don’t get enough sleep.”

Dirk didn’t answer. His eyes drifted away, avoiding Todd’s gaze as his feelings of guilt drifted to him. Todd rubbed his thumb in circles on Dirk’s temples.

“Did you at least get some sleep?”

Dirk nodded, giving a squeeze to Todd’s hand.

“I did, actually. You’re rather warm.”

There it was again, that warm feeling in his stomach. He was sure Todd could feel it too.

He could stay like this forever.

Above them, they could hear their rather noisy neighbor start moving around his room. God knows what he did in the morning to knock down so many things, but the apartment was probably being put to better use than it was with the last tenant. After all, this man was definitely not a member of an evil cult. It was different this time, though; Dirk thought that he could hear a voice on the floor above him. He would have to knock on their door later. Todd sighed.

“I guess that’s our cue.”

Dirk pouted; surely, just four more minutes would suffice. It was all for naught, though. Todd pulled himself out of their embrace, throwing off the blanket in search for a suitable pair of pants. Dirk closed his eyes for a second before accepting his fate; it was time to get up. He already had a pair of sweatpants waiting for him.

Upstairs, he heard something break, followed by some rather startled swearing.

Dirk sat up, the blanket still wrapped around him. It was just so warm, it would be a shame to let it go so soon. Behind him, the shuffling that came with clothes thrown on the floor could be heard; Todd had probably found whatever it was he wanted to wear. Dirk let out an over dramatic sigh. If he really _must._

The blanket fell from Dirk’s shoulders, and he shivered in the morning air. He didn’t have much on; it was just some boxers and Todd’s shirt that he’d given him. It was his favorite shirt, actually. There was no way he could get shot in this shirt if he wore it to bed. Statistically, that was the place where he had encountered the least amount of lethal weapons. The only guns in Todd’s apartment was the one Farah brought when she came over.

“Ow!”

Dirk grabbed his shoulder as an invisible pain shot through it, stabbing the peaceful moment right in its heart. Todd was by his side in an instant, holding Dirk in case he fell.

“Dirk! Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Dirk held out his arm, steadying himself.

“I’m fine. I’m fine. My shoulder just. Just for a second. It’s nothing.”

Todd couldn’t wipe the worried expression from his face, and Dirk could feel it simmering in Todd’s stomach despite his reassurances. Even so, he nodded.

“You’ve been working too hard. How about we take a break today, okay? We can get blankets, build a fort…” Todd trailed off, fixing Dirk’s hair to look right again. “We can even watch Beauty and The Beast. You love that movie, right?”

“I do recall so, yes.”

Dirk grinned, entwining his hand in Todd’s. They looked at each other for a moment, admiring the way their eyes looked reflected in the sunlight. Finally, Todd clapped his hands.

“Right! You need pants!”

Todd leaned over, reaching into the pile of clothes below the window. Standing, he held up a pair of sweatpants over his head with an air of triumph. Dirk hesitated for a second; he could have sworn that he had just seen that pair flung over the desk chair. Perhaps he’d been mistaken. He shook his head, swiping the sweatpants and struggling into them.

With a small yelp, he fell onto the bed; his legs were only half in. He didn’t mind though. The sound of Todd’s laughter was too sweet.

“You need help?”

“No, no darling. I’m quite fine. Just a bit of trouble.”

“I’m sure.”

Dirk slipped into the pants from his position on the bed easily. Satisfied, he jumped to his feet, smiling broadly.

The kitchen was doused in an unusually sweet light as well, so sweet that he could almost taste it in the air. Todd led him over to the refrigerator, opening it to sift through it’s contents. Dirk couldn’t see what was inside; no matter what angle he took, there seemed to be something blocking it. There was more banging from upstairs, and Todd looked up, narrowing his eyes.

“What’s that guy’s problem?”

Dirk shrugged; it _was_ rather strange. He couldn’t remember ever having a problem with the upstairs neighbors before now. Perhaps they were having some sort of issue? He made a mental note to bring whoever lived upstairs some of the leftover cookies on the counter to make him feel better.

“Ah. Dammit.”

Todd shut the fridge, looking around the kitchen. Something seemed to be missing.

“Could you get the cookies for me? I think I left them in the living room.”

Dirk tilted his head.

“Well of course you didn’t, Todd. They’re right there, see-”

Dirk pointed to where the cookies were, except they were no longer where he’d just seen them. There wasn’t any trace of them anywhere in the kitchen at all. Dirk’s mouth fell open.

“Dirk? You okay?”

He nodded. Perhaps he’d made a mistake. Perhaps he hadn’t seen them in here at all. He was always getting mixed up; this was probably just one of those times. Dirk nodded, making vague head gestures to the door as he walked out of the kitchen. Sure enough, as he entered the living room, he saw the bowl of cookies.

Ah. He had been mistaken after all.

Dirk took a few quick strides over to the table, picking up the bowl. There they were, every cookie accounted for. He closed his eyes, sighing in relief. He was definitely suffering the effects of sleep deprivation. He felt something wet on his hands.

When he looked again, the bowl was filled with blood. The thick, red liquid slowly spilling over the sides and pooling on the ground.

He dropped the bowl, yelling as the blood splashed on the wooden floor and onto his pants. He couldn’t breathe right. He couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t real; it _couldn’t_ be real.

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Svlad.”

Mr. Priest was standing in front of him, pointing his gun at Dirk. It was Priest, he was sure, but it didn’t _look_ like him. There was something dark coming from his mouth, and his whole body seemed to loom over Dirk at an impossible height. He was everywhere, on all sides. He was trapped. Priest had trapped him, caught him, like an animal in a cage.

“No. No. You…” Dirk trailed off, trying to back away from the spreading darkness. This couldn’t happen.

Upstairs, he heard a very distinct voice swear at the top of his lungs, yelling at the universe. Dirk agreed; the universe was much too cruel.

“Dirk? Are you okay?”

Dirk heard Todd enter the room, searching for the source of distress that Dirk was giving off. He turned, reaching to push him out of the room. Todd couldn’t be here. He wouldn’t _let_ him. Priest wouldn’t get Todd.

Dirk watched as the bullet reached Todd first.

Just like that, the darkness was gone, along with Priest. The blood was gone, save for the stain blossoming from Todd’s chest. Oh God. This was his fault. He’d gotten Todd killed.

Dirk caught Todd as he fell forward, and he lowered Todd to the floor as the blood seeped out of the wound. This was his fault. He’d ruined everything.

“Todd. Todd, please, Todd. Don’t. Please.” Dirk couldn’t form a sentence. Todd was gripping his arm, trying to grasp some sort of life from Dirk. Todd smiled at Dirk, who was crying. He’d messed up.

“It’s okay, Dirk. It’s okay. I love you, so much. To the moon and back, yeah? To–” he trailed off.

Todd closed his eyes as Dirk reached out for his face.

“Todd?”

Dirk was falling, still holding onto Todd. The apartment was gone; he was falling through an endless void. There was nothing else.

He gasped for air, suddenly opening his eyes to the mechanical whir of the medical ward.

“Todd. Todd!”

Dirk pulled at the IV lines in his arms. He needed to find him, to do something. His lungs felt like they were malfunctioning; everything was wrong.

“Project Icarus is in distress! Get someone over here now!”

There were hands holding Dirk down. He thrashed at them, trying to get them away. They needed to _get away._

“He won’t breathe properly–”

“We need to sedate him–”

“Adams wants him awake–”

“He’s going to kill himself! We’ll bring him to his room later!”

Dirk saw the flash of a needle, and cried out as he tried to scramble away from it. The hands held him down with even more force, keeping him in place as they administered whatever was inside. He called out for Todd again. He needed to save him. He needed to save Todd.

His thrashing slowed, and Dirk was left with the mere dream of moving within a matter of seconds. It all seemed so far away; who was to say any of it was real at all? Maybe even he wasn’t real. He saw the darkness creep into his vision again.

This time though, he reached for it as it overtook him.

* * *

_**Sunday, Full Moon** _

**Dirk Definitely Dies, You’ve been warned**

Dirk had awoken sometime later back in his room. He still ached all over, but he could feel a slight pain reliever working in his system; the throbbing in his leg and shoulder had momentarily slowed to a dull ache. His head was reeling at the thought that that had really happened; he’d really been stabbed. By Priest, no less. This was something new, and it chilled Dirk down to the bone. Apparently, the new administration had no qualms about hurting him. If he was suffering this, what was Vogel going though?

What time was it? Seeing the way he’d passed out, it could have been any stretch of time since Ken had questioned him. It must have been a long time; focusing in the dark room, Dirk could feel that strange heat that Todd experienced during the full moon. He would be shifting soon.

What a way to ruin the weekend.

He had been laying on his cot in silence for about an hour, thinking back on the peacefulness he had found in the dream before it darkened, when the guard finally came to his door.

Not again. Couldn’t he have just one moment of rest?

“Up.” The guard said. Dirk glanced over, all of him hurt. His leg, his middle, his nose, everything. But he knew he didn’t want to feel anymore pain. He pushed himself up slowly, wincing as he put pressure on his wounded arm. Could Todd feel this? Did he have an idea of what was going on? Perhaps the pain reminded him that somewhere Dirk was still alive.

Dirk stood, and limped through the door, the guard walking behind him.

“Where are we going?” Dirk tried as they walked down the halls. The guard remained silent.

“Where’s my friend?” Still nothing. Did they think that silence would make him stop?

“Do they pay you specifically not to talk or is that a personal inclination?” The guard glared over at him as they arrived at a new room. The guard quickly swiped his key on the electronic scanner, opening the door.

“What’s in there?” The guard shoved Dirk through the door, causing him to lose his balance and fall backwards. His body screamed in pain as new muscles became bruised. At this rate, he doubted he would even be able to _walk_ in a few days.

“Hey!” Dirk shouted as the door slammed shut. He groaned and began to stand when he heard a sound behind him. There was someone else in the room with him.

“Dirk?” He almost didn’t recognize the voice, but there was no mistaking Vogel. Dirk stood and limped to Vogel’s side. The youngest Rowdy was huddled in the corner, dark circles under his eyes, and large sweat stains around the top of his shirt. He looked like he lacked the energy to even stand, much less struggle against the guards who put them there, which explained the lax security present as they’d thrown him in.

Shit. The full moon.

“Vogel, what happened? Are you okay?” Vogel shook his head, closing his eyes against the tears that were streaming down his face. He pulled his legs closer, lowering his head.

“Priest. He– so much pain. Dirk, you have to get out of here.” Dirk squeezed the boy’s arm and whirled on the one-way glass covering the far wall. He knew they were there; they would have wanted to watch this. With any luck, Ken would be behind the glass as well. The head maniac.

“You haven’t fed him! The moon is coming up. You can’t do this. He could die!” The PA clicked on in response to Dirk’s yelling.

“Incubus number four has been given a food source. You. If you don’t want him to die, let him feed off you.” It was Ken. Dirk felt the anger boil in his chest and had to remind himself that it was just Todd; that yes he was mad, but he wasn’t murder mad. Todd could feel what was happening; at least he had that going for him.

“Ken, he needs something more than just me! He needs someone like–” He caught himself before he said Amanda. Dirk knew above all else, no matter what happened, Amanda could never come here. He wouldn’t allow it. Brotzmans didn’t belong in Blackwing. They belonged out there, tearing the world apart to do and get what they needed.

Right now, he hoped that what Todd needed was him.

“He has you. Make it work, or watch him die.” The PA clicked off and Dirk let out a yell. These people were seriously willing to let Vogel die because they wanted to see what would happen. Dirk limped back over to Vogel who had started shaking, gripping tightly to his knees and trying to make himself small.

His mind clicked, and those familiar scattered little pieces fell into place in his mind. The universe needed him here; _Vogel_ needed him here. Why did he always have to fix the universe’s mistakes?

“Vogel. Look at me. You have to eat. It’s okay, just take what you need.” Vogel shook his head, not looking up at Dirk. He retreated farther from Dirk’s touch.

“No! Todd, he’ll feel. He’ll know! I can’t, Dirk! Not you!” Dirk reached his hand that wasn’t wrapped in a brace out to touch Vogel’s arm but the boy pulled away. His arm was scorching to the touch; he needed to get Vogel to listen to him, now.

“It’s okay. Todd will understand. I’ll make him understand. It’s okay, just take what you need. You could die, I can’t have that.” Vogel was still shaking his head but something else was happening. Dirk could feel the burning heat searing through Vogel’s shirt. He didn’t have long before he was dealing with a wolf and not a person.

“Vogel, come on.” Dirk looked around, desperate for an idea. “Martin wouldn’t want you to get hurt like this. Please, just–”

“No!” the growl that accompanied the word sent Dirk backwards. Time was up, and there was nowhere to hide. Dirk scooted back and into the far wall as Vogel pitched forward, his cries growing louder and louder. Dirk could hear the sound of ripping fabric and snapping bones and he couldn’t take it. He closed his eyes, listening as the cries turned to howls. After what felt like a lifetime the howls stopped and Dirk could hear heavy panting from the other side of the room. He opened his eyes and saw Vogel on his side, fully shifted and hyperventilating.

“No, no, no. Vogel. Hey, no stay with me.” Dirk scrambled to Vogel. His first mistake was rushing over to the panicked wolf; his second was reaching to touch him.

Vogel reacted, twisting his body as Dirk reached out his hand, a vicious snarl tore from his mouth as tooth and claw found flesh. For a moment Dirk didn’t realize what had happened, he couldn’t feel the pain right away. He glanced down and saw the gouges and then the blood started to gush.

Oh God. Oh _no._

Dirk fell to his knees, a cry of pain tearing from his lips as he held his shredded arm close to his chest, completely ruining the ugly gray of his jumpsuit. Focusing quickly became impossible as he lost blood, a small pool collecting in front of him. He couldn’t stay on his knees, gravity pulled him down to his side and he felt the blood beginning to seep into his pant leg. There was fire in his body; was Todd having an attack?

Vogel had retreated to the corner and was whimpering, but stopped as soon as Dirk began to bleed. He leapt forward, trying to catch Dirk but coming up short. His paws began to track the blood and he tried to sniff at Dirk’s arm, blood coating his tan muzzle.

“It’s okay Vogel.” Dirk said as he began to lose consciousness. He could feel the bite working into his system. A burning that raced through his veins and made him want to cry out. An inhuman noise escaped Dirk’s mouth as black spots dotted his vision. He felt Vogel lay down along his side and could distantly hear him whining.

“It’s okay.” Dirk mumbled as he closed his eyes.

“Just, stay with me.” Vogel’s fur was soft compared to the sharp pain, and he heard the wolf crying into his ear as darkness overtook him.

 

Dirk was surprised that he woke up at all. He had honestly expected that to be the end of him. He awoke, feeling remarkably dizzy and was confused as to what happened after he had entered the room the night before. The only upside was that the aches and pains all across his body had reduced greatly. His confusion was soon pushed away by the sound of someone crying over him.

“Vogel?” he mumbled without opening his eyes. It was too hard. He didn’t have the energy.

“Dirk! Dirk! You’re alive! Todd’s not gonna hate me.” Dirk forced his eyes open and saw the very tired, very beaten looking face of Vogel. Dirk had noted the lack of manic energy in the words and knew Vogel still hadn’t eaten. When was the last time he had eaten? It must have been before Thursday, and knowing the Rowdies it might not have even been that week. Vogel didn’t look like he was going to make it through the day, though to be fair, Dirk didn’t think _he_ was going to make it through the day either.

“Vogel, you have to eat.”

“No!”

“Yes. It’s okay. You have to, or you–”

“No, Todd. He’ll feel. The bond. He’ll know what I did. I can’t.” Dirk didn’t have the energy to argue, if he couldn’t convince Vogel before he passed out again, he wouldn’t be able to convince him at all.

“Listen to me. I am telling you it’s fine. Just. Please. Just–”

“I bit you.” Vogel’s voice had dropped. Dirk managed to look down at his arm that was covered in dried blood, but seemed to have stopped bleeding. He could faintly see the scars beginning to form, and he sighed. This was certainly an interesting turn of events. That must have been why his earlier wounds were causing less distress.

“Yes, you did. But it’s okay. It’ll be fine. It all works out, it always does. Please Vogel, if you don’t eat you’ll die.”

“You couldn’t choose, like me. It was an accident, Dirk. Todd’s going to hate me.” Vogel was avoiding eye contact, as tears began to make their way down his cheeks.

“Vogel. Stop. Todd will not hate you. He will understand. Just like I understand. Remember, he feels what I feel right? He’ll understand. But they won’t understand if you die. You have to eat. Please. You can’t leave Amanda right?” Vogel looked up at that. Dirk knew that Amanda was his favorite, even out of the other Rowdies, Vogel would follow Amanda anywhere. “Your family wants you alive. They’re _looking_ for you.”

Vogel seemed too beaten down to deny that hope.

“You promise nothing bad’s gonna happen?”

“I promise. Now please, please Vogel.” It was a selfish act for Dirk. The Rowdies had always terrified him, but they had always taken the fear they created, leaving Dirk feeling not so much hollow, but perhaps relaxed. It would be just like that. If Vogel fed on his fear and his pain, he wouldn’t have them anymore, and he could rest.

Dirk noticed the hunch. The one that said turn back, danger ahead, he could find another way. Just this once, he was tired of listening to the universe.

Vogel nodded his head and took a deep breath, blue light beginning to seep off of Dirk. At first it felt wonderful. The pain in his arm faded, the panic in his chest evaporated. But then something changed. Vogel kept going and then it wasn’t just fear and panic, it was life. Dirk tried to make a noise but nothing came out. He watched the ceiling as the blue light faded to gray and then to black, his vision failing him as he began to lose consciousness again. Dirk could hear his heartbeat in his ears. Slowing, slowing, and finally stopping altogether.

As Dirk faded away, he could have sworn he heard someone crying his name, but he didn’t have time to wonder who. He had somewhere he needed to be.

* * *

**Consider: Todd in more pain**

Todd sat with his head pressed against the van. The pains from the day before had changed to a dull ache. Todd had assumed whatever had happened had been treated and that Dirk had been given pain meds of some kind. Todd had felt a weakening of the bond, but it was still there, if a little stretched thin.

They had stopped driving nearly two hours ago, only making it to just outside of Reno. The Rowdies had been in the area before and knew the perfect campsite to hide out in, not too far from the road, but far enough away from people that no one would know they were there. The way they were going wasn’t the most direct route to New Mexico, but Farah had insisted they not be too obvious, so they were taking a longer route.

Todd couldn’t remember the majority of the ride.

Farah had given him a pretty heavy tranquilizer that morning after he had almost died from a nonexistent gunshot wound. Todd had stopped breathing, feeling like his lungs were no longer working and he had collapsed, fighting for air and against the pain in his chest. It had been the closest thing he had had to a pararibulitis attack since getting bitten.

God, what if he got one? He doubted he would; it had been six months since the last one. The possibility was terrifying. If he had an attack, if he caught on fire or felt his body being crushed, Dirk would feel it too.

If Dirk was already hurting so much, how would he feel if Todd had an attack?

Todd wasn’t sure what had happened that morning, anyway. Everything had been going fine, or as fine as Dirk being taken back by Blackwing could be going. Dirk had seemed content and happy, and then it had suddenly turned to panic and then anguish and Todd felt a bullet tear through his chest. The pain hadn’t lasted, so he knew Dirk hadn’t been shot, but what could have happened?

Todd took another breath and listened to the sounds around him.

The Rowdies, Amanda, Hobbs, Farah, and Tina were all gathered around the campfire discussing the plan for the coming days. They would be able to make it to Dulce either late tomorrow or early the next day as long as everything went well. Unfortunately, saving the day couldn’t take priority over the moon and they had to stop for the night before moon rise. Martin had said that he wouldn’t shift, none of them would, they would be there to take care of Todd, whatever he needed.

Dirk.

Dirk had been so excited for the full moon tonight. He’d practically dragged Todd out of the house to buy snacks, claiming that the watermelon pop tarts were just not enough. Todd’s breath caught.

Dirk. He’d had a panic attack that day. He’d drifted off as they waited for their order to come in – they went to a cafe after they bought some food – and woken up in a frenzy. He had to leave their meal to bring Dirk outside for some air; Dirk was panicking about Blackwing. About Priest.

God. What if it was Priest who was causing all of Dirk’s pain?

Todd closed his eyes and tried to imagine what Dirk was seeing. All he got was a feeling of gray, everything was gray. He tried to push any emotion he could through to Dirk, but Dirk’s pain and sadness were overpowering. Todd took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Amanda had been walking over to him and had stopped a couple feet shy, trying to judge if it was okay to continue. He gave her a slow nod and she completed the distance, sitting next to him, brushing shoulders.

“It’s going to be okay, you know that right?” She asked. He stared forward, quietly thinking to himself. He wasn’t sure if it would be. Not the way he felt at the moment anyway.

“You know he’s alive. Doesn’t that count for something?”

“Amanda. He’s in so much pain. I can’t do anything to help him. He’s far away, and lonely. I don’t think he can feel me, his emotions, his fear and pain, they’re so much.” He dropped his head, his chin brushing his chest.

“Do the Rowdies need to sap your pain?” she asked. He shook his head, he had already asked Martin.

“It won’t work, it’s not my pain, and the bond won’t be able to transfer the relief.” She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Just let me know if you need anything. Absolutely anything.” Todd sighed. His arm twinged as Dirk began to move where ever he was, the pain in his leg increased as well. Dirk was walking somewhere.

“Thank you, please just, just stay.” She nodded.

For a moment they stayed that way. The sound of the others and the fire in the background, Amanda’s steady heartbeat and even breathing beside him, and the consistent ache in his body telling him Dirk was moving. He closed his eyes again and focused on the growing heat in his body. It was still about an hour for the moon, but he could feel the warmth moving up his neck.

On top of that, he couldn’t shake the ache in his shoulder.

A sharp pain shot through his body causing him to jerk forward. Dirk had fallen or perhaps had been pushed down, his emotions were more annoyed than fear, perhaps he had just fallen. Amanda placed her hand on his back and rubbed small circles. In the darkness of his eyelids Todd could have sworn he saw the outline of a room, with a shape in the corner. What was this? Was this somehow what Dirk was seeing?

_“Vogel!”_

It was Dirk. He could hear Dirk, and he didn’t sound panicked or scared, he sounded angry. Something was wrong with Vogel.

“Martin.” Todd called. He opened his eyes to see Martin was up and covering the short distance, the eldest Rowdy lowered himself into a crouch in front of Todd.

“Whatcha got, Pup?”

“It’s Vogel, something’s wrong.” Todd said as anger boiled in his chest. Was Dirk yelling? He could feel the different parts of his body aching as Dirk walked, but the emotions were stronger than the pain. Anger turned to concern and something softer, caring perhaps.

“What is it?” Amanda asked. Todd shook his head, he still wasn’t sure. Dirk seemed concerned but it could just be because he hadn’t seen the youngest Rowdy member in some time. A burning feeling tingled in Todd’s hand and the concern was quickly replaced by fear and panic. Todd glanced down at his hand and could hear howling in the distance.

“Oh shit. New Mexico is in a different time zone. They’re ahead of us.” Todd said, carefully running his fingers over his still burning palm. How could he not have realized that? It wasn’t that he didn’t know, it was that he hadn’t connected it until just then.

“So? What does that have to do with anything?” Amanda asked. Todd glanced over at her as he felt the panic return to concern.

“The moon’s up.”

And then his vision went black, he couldn’t see. An outline appeared and then solidified into a clear image. He was looking at Vogel, fully shifted, laying on his side. The concern so warm in his chest.

“No, no, no, Dirk, don’t!” Todd shouted. He could see Dirk’s arm, the one that wasn’t in pain, reaching forward. He saw the flash of teeth, the gouges and finally the blood as his vision cleared. He screamed, clutching the newly injured arm to his chest.

“Todd? Todd what happened?” Amanda was calling to him, but he couldn’t hear her. He could feel it, the searing heat racing through his veins, through Dirk’s veins. He knew that feeling, it had been almost half a year since he last felt it, but he would never forget it.

“No. Dirk, no.” Todd was whispering through tears, staring down at his arm. There were no gouges, there was no blood, but he felt like there should be.

“Todd.” Martin spoke, a growl accenting his name. Todd glanced up and they locked eyes. What could he say? He couldn’t bring himself to say anything as he felt Dirk fall into unconsciousness. But Martin seemed to know exactly what had happened. He sighed and pulled Todd forward into a hug.

“It’ll be okay, Pup. It’ll be okay. I promise. I know it don’t feel like that right now, but it will be. I promise you, we’ll all be here for him.” Martin said into Todd’s ear. Todd felt himself nod, but he couldn’t speak. Todd watched as the other Rowdies stood and slowly walked over. There was no way that Cross and Gripps hadn’t heard, Todd knew they had been listening in case he needed anything. They both shared the same sad, far away look.

“Todd?” Amanda asked. He slowly pulled away from Martin and looked over at her. She glanced back and forth, her eyes wide and pleading.

“What happened? Are they okay?” She asked.

“They, they’re ahead of us.” Todd started, his voice surprisingly even. “The moon came up, Dirk just wanted to help, he–” he looked back to Martin who was looking down at the ground, a somber look on his face. Amanda was able to piece it together without him continuing.

“Oh my god. Todd, I’m so sorry. It’ll be okay. Dirk has you, and us, and everyone. He won’t be alone.” She tried. He knew she was trying to be positive, but there was a hard lump of dread in his stomach.

“I don’t think it will be.” He said. Leaning his head back against the van and staring up at the stars. “I’ve got a bad feeling.” he closed his eyes and felt the fire racing through Dirk’s veins.

* * *

_**Monday** _

**A study in how death affects a soul bond**

Todd started awake. It was still very early, and for the first time since becoming a werewolf he woke up clothed. He vaguely remembered Martin helping him after he had shifted back but he wasn’t sure.

Dirk.

Dirk had been bitten. Dirk was like him.

The last two days were difficult to think about. The bond between Dirk and Todd had been stretched thin as Todd suffered through all the pain that tormented Dirk, which was a rather large amount. He had tried to call out to him, attempting to send a feeling of calm across the long distance, but it hadn’t worked. Todd was too panicked.

Todd felt his heart break as he tried to stand. He was laying on the ground near the van and as he rose the others appeared. They had been seated nearby at the campfire and had turned at his movement. Amanda reached him first, she went to grab his arm but he shrugged her off.

“I’ve got it.” He snapped. He knew he shouldn’t have been so harsh, but he just didn’t know what else to do. Dirk was captured, and so was Vogel, and now Dirk was just like him, and everything seemed hopeless. Amanda backed up but didn’t seem mad.

“How do you feel?” She tried.

“Just great. Fantastic.” He growled as he stretched his arms over his head, trying to push the soreness from his bones. He could still feel Dirk, the pain had reduced quite a bit, confirming his fears that the bite had taken, but he was certainly still in pain.

“Pup, ain’t no reason to take an attitude.” Martin said, his voice low. Todd glared over at him.

“Really? No reason? I can think of at least one reason why I would be allowed to be angry. Maybe it has something to do with Dirk–” He faltered, the anger in his chest rising to his throat making him want to cry, and scream. He took a deep breath and went to take a step forward when his knees gave out.

“Todd!” Amanda’s voice came from his side but Todd didn’t hear her. There was a pounding in his ears. The sound of a familiar heartbeat but something was wrong. The beats were getting further and further apart. An ache formed in Todd’s chest and he heard himself cry out.

“Todd. What’s wrong?” It was Martin, he was holding tight to Todd’s shoulders, trying to ground Todd to reality, but Todd was focused on the heartbeat. The pain across his body began to fade completely, leaving nothing more than phantom traces.

“Dirk–” his voice cracked as his body became his again, no more of Dirk’s pain or panic, the last of the heartbeats sounding in his ears.

“No.” the pain in his chest overtook him, sending him forward into Martin and into darkness.

 

When he woke up, he doubted that more than a few minutes had passed. For one, everyone around him was wearing the same clothes as before, not to mention the fact that they were still in the desert. He’d been laid onto the desert floor, and he could hear low voices.

Well, it wasn't Amanda talking, that was for sure. He could feel her next to him, and the voices were coming from a few feet away. Todd didn’t open his eyes yet, groaning as he realized all of the pain that had been coming from Dirk was gone.

He was gone.

It felt like Todd had had a chunk of his very soul lobbed off, leaving a huge hole where there used to be substance. Knowing what little he knew about the Bond, he wasn’t in a place to say that this wasn’t the case.

“Dirk.”

Todd was spiraling. He plunged into the darkness behind his eyes, trying to find something. Anything. Just a hint that Dirk was still alive.

He found nothing.

“Dirk!”

Todd had sat upright, though he didn’t remember doing so. He looked around wildly, trying to catch his breath. He had to find him.

“Dirk! Dirk!”

“Todd, don’t-”

Todd pushed Amanda back, achieving a distance of a few feet before she stopped moving away. She was on her feet now, glancing at Farah, Martin, and Cross, who had been talking to one another.

So that’s where the voices were coming from.

Todd felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, stopping him from getting to his feet. He grabbed the person’s arm; he _needed_ to get up. He needed to find something. Todd met Martin’s eyes.

“Pup. Focus.” Martin held onto Todd tighter, bringing him fully out of his sleep state and into reality. Something was missing. “Focus on me. Ain’t nothing else, okay? Breathe.”

Todd took a breath; there were tears threatening to make an appearance. Dirk was gone. He was _gone._ Todd couldn’t get the image of him out of his head. Everything suddenly felt so incomplete, almost.

It hurt.

Todd nodded.

“What’s up, Pup? Something happen? To Dirk?” Todd couldn’t help himself, he was crying. He fell forward, and Martin had to catch him to stop him from planting face first into the ground. Todd didn’t care, though; he was sobbing into Martin’s shoulder, unable to catch his breath. Amanda swore under her breath.

“Hey now. Ain’t no reason to cry. I’m sure we can fix whatever happened to him.”

Todd shook his head, still buried in Martin’s chest. He couldn’t fix this. Who could?

“N– No. You. Can’t. You can’t. I can’t. He–” Todd struggled to find the words, but his brain seemed to be drawing blanks. If Dirk was here, he would have taken up the speaking role for Todd already. Dirk always knew what was wrong, even more so in the past month. He knew Todd.

Oh God. Dirk.

This was his fault.

“Todd. Hey.” Farah had knelt down next to them too, speaking softly to Todd. She reached out to touch his arm, trying to make sure he didn’t have another panic attack.

“Can you tell us what happened? We won’t force you, but it might. Help?”

Todd looked up at her, his face red. His mouth opened, but then promptly closed again. What could he say? What was he _supposed_ to say?

“Dirk. He– He’s not. I can’t. I can’t. Feel him, Farah. He’s not. He…” Todd closed his eyes trying to steady his breathing. Farah shared a glance with Martin, their expressions darkening.

“Pup, can you feel Dirk? At all?”

Todd shook his head, staring at the ground. Amanda looked around.

“What like– He’s what? Is he dead or something?” Amanda gave a nervous chuckle, looking at Cross, who shook his head at her, his mouth going into a line. She shifted on her feet as Cross glared at her, his eyes wide and mouthing the word ‘no’ at her. What had she done? Todd started sobbing again.

Oh. _Oh._

Martin looked over to Cross, who nodded once. Cross pulled off his jacket, tossing it to Amanda, who in turn tossed it on a rock before looking away. Todd heard a familiar sound, and within seconds he felt Cross nuzzling into him. Todd turned to stare at the wolf. Cross laid down at Todd’s legs resting his head carefully on his lap.

Todd laughed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Martin give a sad look to Cross. All at once, Todd found himself being pulled into another hug by Martin, and Cross had wrapped his body around his, letting out whines of encouragement. Todd started, but didn’t have the strength to protest; what did it matter to fight a hug, after all this?

“It’s alright, Pup. We ain’t letting you go. We’ll be here to help.”

Cross whined again in agreement. Over by the van, he could see Amanda talking to Gripps; they both looked somber. Farah was staring at the ground, expressionless.

“He’s gone, Martin. He’s gone and– It’s– It’s my. I should have been with him, I. I should have…” Todd trailed off, staring at the desert floor.

“It wouldn’t have made it any easier, Pup. He’s safe now.”

“Bullshit.” But Todd’s voice was weak, and it didn’t have any real kick to it. He needed Dirk.

“He’s safe. They can’t hurt him no more than they have.”

Blackwing. Todd felt the heavy feeling in his stomach bubble, heating up his insides. Cross perked up at the smell of Todd’s anger, and Martin let go of him a bit to look at him.

“Pup?”

“They– They hurt him. They took him and hurt him and now, they–” Todd sat up, out of Martin’s grasp. Cross stood, growling as Todd’s anger ebbed into the air, all around him. This was his fault, but it was also theirs, Blackwing They’d taken him and used him and hurt him, and now he was gone. Todd felt a growl of his own rise up in his throat.

He was going to tear Blackwing apart.

“We need to leave.”

“What?”

Todd pushed himself onto his feet, wobbling as he wiped his wet face. He took a jagged breath, and then set off to the van.

“Todd?” Amanda fell into Gripps as Todd pushed past her, reaching inside to pull out Mona. She had taken the form of Panic Pete again; it was what she felt safest with. It made Dirk feel safe too. He looked at Mona for a second, breathing heavily.

“We’re going to get them. We’re going to get Vogel and we’re going to tear Blackwing apart. I’m going to rip Priest to pieces.”

“Todd, man, just calm-”

“He _hurt_ Dirk! I _felt_ it, Amanda! He hurt him! And now he’s–” Todd paused.

“I’m going to get them, Amanda. I’m not letting them do this. Ever again. Let’s just get in the vans.”

He looked over to where Hobbs and Tina were still sleeping; they had fallen asleep on the phone with someone. He could hear them on the other end; they were yelling about cards.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

**Can’t read, but can bring people back to life**

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Friedkin looked up from where he had been sitting for the past… few days, probably. It also could have been a few hours, but it didn’t make a difference. He hadn’t been planning on getting up to much besides peeking on Blackwing, but what he’d found had ruined his day entirely.

Great. Now he was going to have to do _work._

The universe had sent out a rather disturbing pulse right as he’d opened the window to look through, and it made his bones feel like they were going to jump out of his skin. If he still had bones, that is. He wasn’t sure.

He really must inquire about that.

He could see Dirk through the window. The man was on a medical bed, hooked up to a complicated life support system. He knew that system; he’d bought it himself. There was barely anything that couldn’t be salvaged using that machine.

Except of course if you fed a psychic to a werewolf, apparently. Ken might have been smarter than him, but this was definitely one of his dumber decisions in life.

Friedkin grumbled under his breath, pulling himself off his place on the… ground? Floor? Whatever was under his feet, at any rate. There had to be some sort of button he could press to fix this. He hoped so; he really enjoyed pressing buttons. It was one of life’s finer things.

God. He hoped that there wasn’t an instruction manual. He’d have to _read_ it. Does the universe come with one of those?

He felt another pulse in his head; the universe’s special way of telling him to shut up. It had always been there, but before now it had been easy enough to ignore. Something told him that Ken’s idea had not been what the universe had intended.

Nothing Ken did seemed to go according to it’s plan.

“Alright. Fine. Whatever. I’ll fix stupid Icarus Dirk guy.”

Friedkin waved his arms around at the lights above his head. They were too demanding; he just wanted a nap.

Friedkin watched as the fabric of reality began to fray, he could see the threads that tied to Dirk and where they had snapped. If he could bring them back together, maybe the universe could do the rest.

As carefully as he could he grabbed the loose threads and pulled. A resounding beep from the machine echoed through the window. Well, that certainly did something.

He pulled them closer to the other ends and watched as blue static connected the ends, snapping the threads back together.

More beeping rang through the window as doctors began rushing around the bed, blocking his view.

“Dude,” he muttered, “I should get like. A medal of… smart...ness.”

The universe hummed disapprovingly around him. Friedkin looked up, frowning.

“Come on. That was like, kind of cool. Right?” He sighed. “Fine. I guess.”

The lights danced around him and then entwined in the threads that lead to Dirk, brightening them slowly, a soft pulsing illuminating the space. It was beautiful; he stared at the light in awe. It was all encompassing, the endless beauty of life itself.

It was kind of bright, actually. He wondered if there was an option to make it less blinding.

He felt the pulse in his head again, the push that seemed to say ‘no, it doesn’t work that way.’ Was this what Dirk felt? It sure was annoying.

_So are you._

“That’s just uncalled for.” Friedkin grumbled as the window closed, taking the light with it. “I’m just playing with stuff.”

He fell back onto the ground, crossing his arms. He puffed out his chest.

“Whatever. Stupid anyway.”

The universe hummed in agreement as it flashed above him. Of all the people, in all of creation, across all the realities, it had to be Hugo Friedkin to end up there. The universe was anything but pleased.

* * *

_**Tuesday** _

**Murderous Dirt Muppet plots revenge against crazy ex-best friend**

Bart’s room was constantly static, and the only indication of time passing was when their meals were brought to them. Usually it was delivered by a very timid looking guard, but their fear was useless; Bart wasn’t going to kill them. They were rather pissed at the universe, actually, and until they found a good reason to listen to it again, no one was going to die. That would show the universe.

The lighting overhead was unnecessarily bright, and it caused them no end of headaches. Or at least, it was probably the light. It could have been the universe hitting them upside the head for not killing anyone as far as they knew. Either way, it resulted in hours spent with their head hidden in their arms.

There was just nothing to do. Where was everyone?

Something was off, that much was obvious. The guards during the past few days had been oddly distracted, and one of them didn’t even have time to glance at Bart in fear before they’d run off somewhere. Even Ken, who usually showed up a few hours after Bart would yell out for him, hadn’t shown up.

Yes, something was going on. But what was it? They were the only project in the facility at the moment, so it was dumb to think that they were occupied with someone else. Perhaps the guards had run off.

Yeah, that’d be the day.

There wasn’t anything for Bart to do but sit and think though, so that was inevitably what ended up happening. Sleep wasn’t really needed. Besides, how were they supposed to sleep with no bed anyway? Stupid universe. Stupid Ken.

Stupid, stupid Ken.

What was his deal, anyway? What made him change so quickly? Ken seemed to really like being with Bart, but as soon as he had the opportunity to lock them up, he took it. He said that he was their friend; why did he lie? He could have just told them the truth. They would have killed him probably, but he still could have told the truth. It was his fault, all of it. That was why the universe was telling her to kill him after all.

As if the universe had been listening to her thoughts, the door opened, and Ken walked in. He was tailed by Priest, but it was an empty threat. He couldn’t do anything to Bart; she could do plenty to him, however. The universe didn’t really like Priest, but ever since the first breakout when they were shorter, the urge to kill him had become less pronounced. Things did that with time.

Or rather, most things. The urge to kill Ken hadn’t yet faded. Ken sat opposite from her, and Bart lifted their head to face them. They were bored.

“Hello, Bart.” Ken said cooly, watching them with unblinking eyes. “I’m terribly sorry I haven’t been able to come and see you the last couple of days. There are, events, that have made it slightly difficult for me to get away.”

Bart snorted and rolled their eyes.

“What? Big business getting too big for yous, Ken?”

“If you must know, Bart. We recently acquired some, return customers. They’ve had a rough few days settling in. But it’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.”

“Oh? You gots someone?” Bart raised an eyebrow, tilting their head. Were they not alone here anymore?

“We didn’t ‘get’ anyone Bart. We’ve merely relocated certain individuals to the complex.” He said, still holding eye contact.

Bart let out another laugh, their chair rocking back so far they nearly fell. They grabbed onto the edge of the table and pulled themselves back in, smiling.

“Yeah sure. I bet.”

“Bart, come now. I’ve told you, Blackwing is different. These individuals came willingly. Isn’t that right Mr. Priest?” Ken turned slightly glancing towards Priest who cracked a crooked smile.

“‘At’s right, Kenny boy. No trouble at all.” Bart raised their eyebrow at Priest and then back at Ken. Even the most passive of subjects had never come willingly.

“I dunno. I knows a few who’d rather do the dying than be here.” Bart’s mouth scrunched up to the side. “Whos is it?”

Ken pursed his lips, anxiousness an emotion that Bart hadn’t seen on his face in sometime.

“Well, luckily no one is dead. And everything is progressing just as it should.” His voice had risen a couple notches and Bart laughed.

“Sure it is.” they said as Ken continued.

“And who the subjects are is none of your concern.”

Bart exhaled, sighing dramatically. They knew that Ken knew that Bart could leave whenever they wanted, if they decided so. Ken couldn’t withhold this information from them; not if they wanted it.

“I thinks it is though, because I don’t gots nothing else to do.” Ken sighed and looked down at his folded hands briefly.

“I guess you could know. You’ve been so good and we all appreciate that so much. Thank you, Bart. We recently relocated the youngest member of Project Incubus and Project Icarus.”

“Incu-who?” And then, moments later, Bart processed the rest of it. “Dirk?”

“Yes, Dirk has returned. It was a smooth transition, Priest was able to oversee it and assured me that everything went off without a hitch.” Ken appeared to be starting to sweat around his temples.

Bart took a moment to respond. They didn’t know Dirk very well, but when they were in that stupid jail with Panto, they’d heard Dirk talk about Blackwing. He hated it here, and he’d told the short one that he liked that he would rather be dead than be in Blackwing. Warning bells went off in Bart’s head; something was wrong. Ken was lying.

“Can I see him? I wants to ask him ‘bout Panto.”

Ken took a deep breath, and Bart could almost see him thinking.

“I think it would be best if Project Icarus didn’t receive visitors at this time. He had a hereto unknown, medical condition, that acted up sometime last night and has been in the medical ward recovering. He’s just a little sick.”

Bart smirked at him. So this was the game he wanted to play? That was fine; Bart was great at games. Ken wasn’t going to leave until they got what they wanted. This was much too exciting.

“Sees, I thinks that you’re lying Ken. And I wants to sees Dirk now. Where is he?”

“Bart, I’ve never lied to you before. I’m your friend remember? And I want to be Dirk’s friend, and the best thing for him right now is to rest, and recover properly. Perhaps–”

Bart stood up suddenly, slamming their hands on the table. Ken jumped, and even Priest backed away a few steps. Bart hadn’t ever acted up before, and they knew that they could kill both of them.

“If yous my friend why don’t yous listen? Yous sit and talk ‘bout Blackwing or, whatever, but you thinks it’s like, all great and stuff. I think yous lying to me and I wants to know why.” Bart glared at Ken. He wasn’t their friend. They weren’t sure when he’d stopped being that, but it didn’t matter. He was someone bad now.

“Bart, would you perhaps like to take a seat?” Ken was still calm, but definitely rattled. “I hear you, and I’m sorry you think I’m lying to you. But you have to understand, I have to make sure that everyone is taken care of; you, Dirk, and all the others. I understand you would like to see Dirk, but at the moment he’s not able to have visitors. He is quite injured and the doctors are concerned he may not wake up. You wouldn’t want to be the reason he became over stressed and didn’t get better, would you?”

“He gots injured?” Bart crossed their arms, looking at the corner to think. Injured. What did that mean again?

That’s not what Ken said earlier.

“Thoughts you said Dirk got sick.”

“I–” Ken paused. He had said that. “Well, you see, he is sick, from an injury, that he sustained, here.”

Bart pointed to him, laughing again. This time though, they kept laughing. They laughed until it got uncomfortable.

“Yous lying, Ken. Yous all worried and anxious and stuff like when I kidnapped you. Did yous do something to him? Is that why I can’ts be seeing him?”

“Bart,” Ken was ruffled, Bart had backed him into a corner, not literally of course, Priest was still in the room and would not allow that kind of behavior. “We didn’t do anything to him. In fact, it was interacting with the other subject that caused the injury. I would be concerned that interacting with more subjects could cause, emotional distress.”

“Ah, I ain’ts gonna kill Dirk. I already tried. Yous were there. It don’t work.” Bart grinned at Ken, giggling. There was something dangerous radiating off of them. “I bets you caused it. Whatever happened. Like I do when I trys to kills people.”

“We were not trying to kill him.” Ken seemed overly sensitive about having to say that. Bart wondered if Dirk wasn’t hurt but dead, but they figured the universe would have let them know if that had been the case.

“He’s simply unconscious and–”

“Yeah?” Bart’s voice lowered, becoming the same growling mess it had been when they first met Ken. This was fun. They liked this. “Like that guy in the woods is unconscious? Yous remember him. Tried to shoots me. Is yous gonna try to shoots me, Ken? Dos friends do that now?”

Bart lowered her arms back onto the table, leaning into Ken. Ken leaned away from the motion, still holding eye contact but visibly swallowing.

“Bart, I don’t want to shoot you. You know that right? And Dirk is fine, he’s not dead, he’s just resting. But I think it would be best to wait until he woke up before–”

“Supervisor Adams?” A vaguely familiar voice came over the speaker in the room. The lights seemed to dim slightly before returning to their normal brightness.

“Project Icarus is showing an increase in brain activity. We believe he will be waking up shortly.” Priest snorted in the corner of the room as the PA clicked off. Ken sighed and gave Bart a forced smile.

“Well, it seems Dirk is waking up. I guess we can schedule, some sort of meeting, between the two of you.”

Priest raised his eyebrows at Ken, crossing his arms but not saying a word. For a second, nothing was said; it seemed that Ken was trying to take a moment to steady himself. He seemed more than shaken up. Bart sighed, but sat back down. They’d won. The universe had won. This was their sign to get going again.

“Goods. I’m tired of being bored.” Bart smiled. “I’lls be seeing yous, Ken. Soon.”

There was a distinct edge to Bart’s voice. Ken had crossed a line by lying.

“I’m sure we will be seeing each other again soon.” Ken stood, adjusting his jacket and glancing toward Priest. “Thank you for seeing me Bart, it was so nice chatting with you.” He turned to leave, Priest following close at his heels. As the doors opened Bart heard Ken hiss over at Priest.

“Who came over the speaker just now?” Priest shrugged.

“I don’t know, but they sure did sound familiar.” the doors closed behind them, leaving Bart alone again. There was a soft hum in the room as the lights dipped once more and then returned to normal. Bart glanced up and smiled.

“Thanks to yous too, universe.”

* * *

**Still five-eighths dead-ish**

It had only been a moment. Or perhaps a second. No more than a tick, surely.

Dirk took a deep breath and heard beeps match his heartbeats. He was back in the medical wing. What had happened?

Vogel!

He tried to connect the pieces. Vogel had been there, and he’d been upset, Dirk had been in so much pain. But now, he realized, the pain had eased. His thigh still ached as well as his shoulder but everything else felt so much better. The doctors around here must have finally learned how to treat–

No, wait. Oh _no_.

Dirk opened his eyes slowly, squinting against the fluorescents and looked down at his arm. His sleeves had been rolled up to allow for IV inserts and he could clearly make them out. The scars.

They wrapped around his arm like thin ghosts, trailing wisps behind.

He hadn’t gotten to talk about it. To think about it. It had just happened. The thing the universe told him not to do and he had went and done it anyway.

This was all his fault.

He was having a hard time feeling the guilt of the moment through the excitement. Why was he excited?

Todd.

Oh, that made more sense. Todd was excited for something. The warm happiness built in Dirk’s chest and he wondered what Todd could have been thinking about that made him so happy. Hopefully it was far from where ever Dirk was, he couldn’t live with himself if Todd ended up here. He couldn’t allow it.

He took another deep breath through his nose and started coughing. There were so many smells. The bleach, the ammonia, the metallic scent of blood. It was all so much. How was he ever going to get used to this?

He could hear something out in the hall. Footsteps perhaps, but he wasn’t sure. He closed his eyes and hoped that whoever it was hadn’t come to find him. There was a click as the door opened.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t need no guard inside. What am I gonna do, kill him?” A harsh cackle accompanied the all too familiar voice. The door clicked shut and Dirk heard soft footsteps moving towards the bed.

“I knows you’re awake, Dirk. They says so through the talkie squares.” Dirk sighed, opening his eyes.

“Walkie talkies, Bart. Why are you here?” His voice sounded awful and felt worse.

“I’ve been here.”

“No, I mean, here, now, with me?” Dirk tried to sit up but realized that there was a strong sedative at work in his system and he couldn’t quite feel his toes.

“Here.” Bart moved forward and grabbed hold of the controller for the bed, holding down the up button and slowly raising Dirk into a better position.

“Thank you,” Dirk mumbled, fiddling with the edge of his sleeve. Bart looked down at the movement and seemed to notice the scars for the first time.

“Those boys finally let you into their pack?” They asked, laughing and nudging lightly at Dirk’s arm.

“No.” He didn’t have the energy to say more but Bart seemed to understand.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Dirk. Are yous, like, gonna live?” They pulled up a stool and took a seat next to Dirk.

“More than likely, Bart, yes, I will continue to live. Or at least that is the hope. You never answered my question though. Why did you come to see me?” Bart looked up and shrugged.

“I don’t know. Ken said yous was here and I thought maybe I’d come and say hi. It’s been a while since anyone’s talked to me, ya know?” Dirk did know. Blackwing had a distinct way of sucking the life out of your soul and he wasn’t surprised that Bart felt the same way.

“I understand. So how did they get you? We lost track of you back in Bergsberg.” Bart glanced down, sadness clouding their features.

“I went to Wendimoor, with Panto, but then, he died. And the other one, Silas, he died. So I killed those dumb box head guys, all of em. And then, Francis said he’d fix everything, and I asked him to send me here.”

“Wait, you came back here, willingly?” Dirk couldn’t believe it. He was sure that everyone hated Blackwing as much as he did, so to think that any of them, even someone like Bart, had come back willingly seemed impossible.

“The universe, it’s broken. And I wanted to be somewhere that made sense you know?” Bart said, shrugging again and leaning backward on the stool. “‘Sides, Ken’s here, and he’s whose I was looking for in the first place.”

“Bart, I don’t mean to offend, but I don’t think Ken is your friend. He’s trying to use us, the same way that Friedkin did, that Riggins did.” Dirk was surprised that Bart didn’t argue, they just nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you Dirk. Ain’t nobody in here good for us.” Bart smiled and glanced back toward the door.

Dirk felt it too. Something was happening, or about to happen. Bart reached out and grabbed hold of the portable IV stand.

“You need this?” Bart asked, not taking their eyes off the door.

“It’s all yours. Do you, perchance, know what’s coming or-”

“I know what you know, Dirk.” A loud alarm began to sound throughout the building, the lights flashed a bright red and Dirk could remember back to the last time this had happened, nearly 16 years ago.

“Here we go.” Bart mumbled.

The door burst open and a guard entered. He should have entered with his gun drawn, not that it would have done anything. As soon as he saw Bart holding the stand he went for his gun, but Bart was faster. With a quick swing of the IV stand the guard was on the floor and Bart spun on Dirk.

“I guess we’re leaving. Can you walk?” Dirk was already disconnecting himself from the machines and tried to get his legs out of bed.

“It appears that I can’t really feel my legs. I was given a sedative it would seem.” Bart groaned but threw Dirk’s arm over their shoulder, hauling him out of bed and towards the door.

“How long for you to be better with your thing?” Bart asked as they entered the deserted hall.

“You know, I’m not terribly sure, Bart. I forgot to get the Werewolf 101 in all my haste!” Bart snorted as they rounded a corner.

“Touchy, touchy.” Bart pushed both of them into a small alcove just as a group of guards ran past. Bart looked over at Dirk who was trying to steady his breathing, the new smells making focusing difficult.

“Which way?” Bart asked.

“What do you mean which way? Bart you brought us this way!” He whispered angrily, not sure if there were still guards nearby. Bart shrugged, adjusting their grip on Dirk.

“Yeah, but like, the universe is giving me options. Where is it telling you to go?” Dirk didn’t know. There was too much going on; the scents, the sounds, the excitement from Todd, the pain in his arm.

Vogel.

“Vogel. We have to get Vogel. We can’t leave him here. Um, down this hall.” The universe pulled them out of the alcove and down the hall in the direction the guards had gone. Dirk didn’t recognize anything, he had been out of his room so little in the time he had spent in Blackwing, and usually it was to walk to the same locations over and over again.

They took a right, then a left, then another right, and Dirk felt a pull towards a door. He glanced up at the small plaque on the door that read ‘Utilities’. This wasn’t the right room, he was beyond sure of it, but something pulled him forward.

“In here, I think?” Bart reached down for the handle and tried to push the door open only to have it slam closed.

“Hey!” Bart shouted indignantly at the door, trying again while still trying to keep Dirk upright.

“Go away!” came a shaky voice from the other side of the door. Dirk frowned, he knew that voice, how did he know that voice?

“Who’s in there?” Dirk tried. There was a pause and then the door slowly inched open.

“Project Icarus? What are you– oh my god Marzanna!” The door slammed shut again, Bart and Dirk exchanging equally confused looks.

“Are you the one from before? The one with the stupid name?” There was silence from the other side for a moment.

“Yes.” came the saddened reply.

“Oh! Fantastic! You still work here, that’s, well, that’s not great, you should really reconsider your place of employment. But do you perhaps have one of those keycards?” The door opened again, Assistent appearing from the dark room. He looked exactly how Dirk remembered him, short, squirrely, and definitely giving Bart a terrified glance.

“I do, so?”

“We need your help. My friend, Vogel, he’s trapped in the facility somewhere. Can you help?” Assistent looked from Dirk to Bart and back again.

“I don’t know, I just–”

“You said you wanted to meet aliens, right?” Dirk tried, it was really the only thing he could remember Assistent telling him. The man nodded and Dirk smiled, feeling Todd’s excitement welling in his chest.

“If you help us, I can help you meet aliens. Maybe even a god or two if you’re good. Now what do you say, help us get to my friend and get out?” Dirk asked. Assistent looked unsure, his eyes still darting over to Bart who was looking more and more bored the longer they stood there.

“Aliens?”

“Every other week, and sometimes twice before Friday.” Dirk couldn’t help the smile. Assistent sighed and nodded his head.

“Follow me, I know where he is.”

* * *

**We felt bad, so Todd gets a little bit of a break from the endless pain**

They had had to stop the night before for rest. Despite Todd’s protests, he knew that they needed to wait. They couldn’t storm into Blackwing and hope to achieve anything if everyone was sleep deprived.

Todd had spent the entirety of the drive that day glaring out the window. He kept seeing Dirk’s face in his head, his smile, the way his eyes lit up, and he couldn’t bring himself to really accept that he would never see him again. That he would never listen to another endless rant about nothing. That he would never be able to hold him again.

This was all his fault. He kept coming back to it. No matter what he thought about, Todd knew, uniquivacably that what had happened was his doing.

If he had gone with them. If he had been there. He wasn’t sure he would have been able to stop Blackwing, but at least Dirk wouldn’t have been alone. At least Dirk wouldn’t have died alone.

He had closed his eyes against the pain and hadn’t opened them until they stopped that night.

The group had discussed a plan of attack the next morning while they ate breakfast.

“So, Amanda and I will drive Farah’s van, carrying you, the Rowdies, Farah, and her explosives while Hobbs and Beast wait at the front gate keeping an eye on the guards right?” Tina asked for the third time. Todd knew that she just wanted to make sure that she understood the plan but he couldn’t help a sigh.

“Yeah, we’ll go in, the Rowdies will wreck shit, Farah will plant the explosives, I’ll find Vogel and– I’ll find Vogel and we’ll all meet back at the van twenty minutes later.” Todd said, leaning against the van as Tina nodded casting a glance over at Hobbs. Todd didn’t want to say he was feeling better, quite the opposite, he was angrier than he had been the day before, the pain and the sadness having morphed over night into full on rage. But he was trying to keep a level demeanor for the group.

“And, uh, what’s– what’s the plan if something bad happens?” Hobbs asked. Todd glanced over at Farah who had her arms crossed. She didn’t love this plan, but it was the only one they had.

“If something goes wrong. If we can’t make it out in time, anyone who can needs to leave. That means you, Beast, Tina and Amanda. If we get to a point where you know we’re not coming back you all need to get out of there.”

“Bullshit! We’re not going to just leave you all there!” Amanda said, jumping to her feet and glaring over at Martin.

“It’s the best plan, Drummer. We can’t get Vogel then we ain’t gettin’ out. All or nothing.” Amanda glared from Martin to Todd.

“Todd, come on, this is crazy, we’re not going to just–”

“It was my idea, Amanda. We have to stick to the plan. Okay?” Todd said, his tone cold. Amanda blinked at him, looking around the group and then crossing her arms.

“Fine. Whatever. But that is a stupid plan.” Todd glanced over at Farah who was shrugging.

“Okay, let’s go.” Todd said, pushing himself away from the van and pulling the door open.

They hadn’t been too far outside of Dulce when they had stopped for the night. It was only a couple hour drive to the town and then only a couple miles more to the base. Hobbs hung back slightly with the Rowdies’ van, giving the others a chance to make it to the gate without drawing too much attention. Farah had timed it perfectly. They pulled up to the gate just as the two new guards appeared to relieve the others. All of them turned as Farah pulled up. She parked the van and hopped out.

“Ma’am, please return to your vehicle until you have been cleared.” The first guard approached Farah, his arm raised slightly. In a flash she grabbed his arm and had him on the ground, the other guards scrambling to assist. The Rowdies had leapt from the van, blue energy bleeding from the remaining three guards as Farah knocked her guard unconscious against the side of the van.

Todd hopped from the van and smiled.

“Well, that went much better than I thought it would.” He heard Amanda snort from the van as her and Tina moved into the front seats.

“Okay, everyone good? No more than 20 minutes.” Todd pulled the shirt of the closest guard off and quickly threw it over his own head, tucking the tails into his pants. He turned to Farah who gave him a thumbs up and tossed him one of the hats and a keycard.

“Yup, okay we’ll go in through the front and then split off. Rowdies will go–” Farah continued to talk, looking around to the Rowdies who were bouncing slightly with pent up energy. But Todd wasn’t listening. His arm had started to hurt, sharp pins and needles dancing under his skin. He rolled the sleeve up and examined it. Nothing looked off, and he was sure it wasn’t an attack, but there was a dull ache. The pain moved up his arm and into his shoulder, sharper than the pain in his arm.

“Farah.” He said, still staring down at his arm. Farah paused and glanced over.

“Todd, what’s wrong? We don’t really have a ton of time.” She said, looking down at his arm in confusion. Todd was going to answer when he heard a soft beep. He glanced around looking for the source of the noise spinning in place and falling against the van. A new pain had appeared in his leg, similar to the pain in his shoulder. The beeping continued, slow but steady, where was it coming from?

“Todd?” Tina was leaning out the passenger window watching as Todd fell against the van.

“I don’t– there’s something.” Todd clutched at his arm, still listening to the beeping as it slowly changed. Electronic beeping was steadily replaced by the gentle murmur of a heartbeat, a heartbeat he was sure he would never hear again.

“Dirk?”

It couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible. The universe was never that kind.

“Todd, what’s wrong?” Farah was in front of him, grabbing onto his shoulders and pulling him back to the present. All the rage and the pain changed to excitement. Dirk was there. Dirk was awake.

“Dirk. I can– I can feel him. He’s– he’s there! Farah, Dirk’s alive!” Farah frowned at him and then looked back towards Martin who was shrugging.

“Todd, are sure? You were pretty adamant about–”

“He’s there Farah. I can feel him! He’s there. Okay,” Todd pushed himself away from Farah and the van. “Slightly new plan. We’re getting both of them, whatever it takes. Got it?” Todd watched as the others exchanged weary looks but Martin was staring at him.

“Got it, Pup. Alright. Let’s burn this place down!” Martin turned towards the gate and headed forwards. Farah casting one more quick glance at Todd before grabbing her backpack from the inside of the van and racing after the Rowdies. Todd watched them for a moment before glancing down at watch on his wrist.

“Mona, come on, we have to go save Dirk.” He was holding a metal baseball bat in the next moment and he smiled. Todd waved back at Amanda and Tina who followed behind into the main area of the facility in the van. Todd was almost at the main door with the others when something stopped him, making him look to the left.

“Todd, what are you doing?” Farah hissed as she held the door open, the sounds of the Rowdies already echoing back out of the facility. Todd glanced at her and then back in the direction he felt like he wanted to go.

“I’m gonna go this way. Stick to the plan. I’ll see you in twenty minutes.” Todd dashed away from the door before Farah had a chance to argue with him. Racing along the building and around a corner. He could see a loading bay up ahead and the feeling in his chest got stronger. He was going the right way, he was sure of it. An alarm began to sound as he neared the covered area and he slowed, glancing around the corner carefully looking for guards.

There was a set of double doors that looked like they led into the facility and had the same keycard device as all the other doors he had seen. That was the door, he was sure of it, he wasn’t sure why, but he knew if he went through there he’d find Dirk.

Todd took a deep breath, gripping tighter to Mona and focusing on the door.

“I’m coming, Dirk.”

* * *

**Get this man a shield**

Vogel wasn’t sure when exactly the alarms had begun to go off, only that it had awoken him rather forcefully. It wasn’t ideal; if he was going to spend his time here, he would have rather it have been in unconsciousness. Was Dirk able to hear this, wherever he was? He sincerely hoped not, though unlike him, he would have been able to cover his ears. Or at least scream at the guards to turn it down. Vogel’s throat felt on fire.

A shudder ran through his body as the recent events caught up to him, and he felt a strangled sound rise up in his throat. Dirk. He’d killed Dirk. Had Todd felt it?

Oh god. Todd hated him. Was that why there was no one coming for him?

Vogel wasn’t stupid; he knew what the alarms meant. He remembered them from when he was ten, when they had broken out the first time. They were only turned on due to a breach in security, which meant there was likely some sort of breakout occuring. So why was no one there for him?

Maybe Todd had talked to Martin. Maybe they didn’t want him anymore.

It was his fault. He was the one who had fed on Dirk in the first place.

The strange device was back on his face, preventing him from opening his mouth. The feel of a wall on his back registered, and Vogel realized that he was slumped against the back wall. The room, while still small, wasn’t dark this time. It had been filled with the red light of the emergency systems. It was blinding; Vogel thought that his head was going to explode.

He could smell a distant mix of emotions, coming from all directions, and it made his head spin. To his right, he could smell the excitement and exhilaration of… whoever was over there. To his left, there was an intense amount of frustration and anger that made him cringe. Probably the guards. Probably… probably Him. Finally, straight in front of him, he could smell an odd mixture of fear and determination. The intensity of it all made him feel like he was going to throw up.

There were so many people, and somehow he was entirely abandoned. He couldn’t ever make this up.

He heard a stumbling outside the door, mixed with muffled voices that he couldn’t make out. Had someone come for him? The fear was closer now, and it made more sense. It was the guards. They were forever scared of him, and the amount of fear that they drenched him in made him constantly hungry. The guards were here for him.

Vogel braced against the wall, focusing on the door. In all the confusion, maybe he could get out of here himself. The staff probably weren’t the most equipped to handle him, especially if he got a literal jump on them. He could fight them, get away, and try to make it up to Todd. Maybe then they would take him back.

The door opened, and Vogel launched himself onto the figure.

There was screaming, and Vogel landed with a grunt on top of whoever had been standing in the doorway. He brought up his knee, and he felt the satisfaction of landing a direct hit on the person under him. Was he crying?

“Dirk! Dirk! Get him _off_!”

Vogel rolled off of him, and was crouched into a corner staring at the man on the ground as more figures appeared. There were two others, a messy looking person with a metal bar and a taller man in a jumpsuit. Actually, both of the figures were wearing jumpsuits, save for the man he had tackled. Vogel scrambled away as the taller figure bent down next to him.

“Vogel? Vogel calm down. Calm down you’re okay.”

In the dark light, his vision started to focus, and he stopped dead.

Dirk.

“Shit. What are you wearing?” The figure, Dirk, turned to the man on the ground. “Mr. Assistent, can you kindly get this off of him?”

“He attacked me!”

“I understand your concern but it really isn’t our biggest problem at the moment. I’m willing to bet you scared him out his mind.”

There was groaning, and there were more hands on him that made him want to kick whoever they belonged to. They weren’t allowed to touch him, this weird assistant guy. He felt whatever was over his mouth come off, and all at once he could move his arms again as well. Vogel looked over to Dirk, who was crouched over him.

“D- Dirk?”

“Oh thank goodness. You can still speak. Why… why did they have that on your face?”

Vogel launched himself onto Dirk, and both men fell back onto the ground. He heard Dirk let out a yelp, but all Vogel did was grab on tighter to him. He was _alive._ He was _okay!_ Behind him, he heard the assistant let out a soft yell as well.

“Dirk! Dirk! You’re alive man you’re! You’re okay! I thought I’d– I thought you’d–!”

“Ah, hello Vogel. I’m glad you’re okay.”

Dirk was hugging him back, and Vogel felt a sob rock his body. Maybe now he could make it up to Todd. Vogel’s head shot up, glancing around wildly. The person standing next to the assistant was squinting at Vogel, and the assistant himself looked terrified out of his mind. Vogel jumped to his feet.

“How’d you get here, man!? Did Drummer find you!? Or- or the guys!? Or Todd?! Are they okay!? Are they mad at me!?”

“What? Why would they be mad?” Dirk grabbed onto the wall to try and find his footing. “Either way, we haven't seen them. Though we do suspect they might have something to do with the alarms. Farah, at any rate. Maybe not Todd. He’s not fond of these types of things, I doubt he would have come.”

“Are you kidding, man! He like, loves you!”

In the harsh red light, Dirk smiled. Looking Dirk up and down, Vogel suddenly gasped.

“Man! Can you walk!?” Dirk waved him off, but Vogel didn’t miss the way he slumped onto the one with the weapon as they walked forward to catch him. Vogel frowned.

“I’ll be fine. Just a bit dizzy. It’s nothing, really.”

“Sure man?! I can like, carry you on my back!” Dirk looked around.

“Ah, I’m fine Vogel. Maybe another time.”

The person holding up Dirk grunted, and Dirk looked over at them. They deposited Dirk back onto the wall, and was all at once a bit too close for comfort to Vogel. They held out the metal rod.

“Here.”

“Uh…” Vogel looked over to Dirk, who shrugged. “Thanks?”

Once he had taken the rod, they went back over to Dirk, who nodded as they wrapped their arm around his torso.

“Thanks Bart. I’m sure he can use it.”

Bart. That was a cool name. The assistant took a step closer, eyeing Vogel with trepidation. He blanched, and Vogel tilted his head at the man’s odd behaviour. Was he wearing a staff uniform?

“This is real cool guys but uh, I can hear other people coming. We really got to go here.”

Dirk nodded, and with Bart’s help, started walking again. He gestured down the right hall, and Vogel glanced down it. It seemed empty. Where was everyone?

“Right then. Down here, everyone! There’s got to be a way out somewhere!” Bart glanced at Dirk through the side of their eyes.

“Do you know where yous going?”

“Not in the slightest.”

Bart shrugged.

“Okay then.”

 

Bart supported Dirk as they stumbled through the halls after Vogel and Assistent. He had begun to think that they must have been lost but something pushed him to the right. Out of all the times to ignore a hunch, this wasn’t one of them. The universe wanted them out of Blackwing. Whatever was down there was precisely what they needed. Vogel seemed to have gotten a new burst of energy.

“Wait,” he called after the others. There was something down this hall, he was sure of it. Bart slowed and looked over at him.

“What you got?” they asked, as Dirk glanced down the hall the universe was pushing him towards. It looked like all the other halls they had walked down; bad lighting, flashing red lights. But there was something at the end of it. A way out, perhaps?

“What’s this way?” Assistent and Vogel had come back and were peeking around the corner.

“Nothing. Some storage rooms and an old kitchen that leads–” Assistent lit up and turned, smiling.

“The loading bay. There’s an old loading bay down this hall for food deliveries and that sort of thing.”

“So, that can take us out?” Bart asked. Assistent nodded heading down the hall first.

“This will get us out.” Assistent confirmed. Vogel raced around Assistent and paused in front of the doors, looking in each as he went. Dirk adjusted his grip on Bart’s shoulders and they followed close behind.

“You doin’ okay there, Dirk?” they asked. Dirk glanced over. In reality he was feeling better with every step but everything still hurt, and he couldn’t catch his breath. He nodded slowly, watching as Vogel disappeared around a corner and then doubled back to wait for the others.

“I’m, something, Bart. I can let you know more on the topic later.” Bart snorted and adjusted their arm on Dirk’s waist.

“I don’t care none, you’re just heavy and slow.”

“Well thank you for that eloquent assessment. How about, until we have reached our ultimate destination of freedom, we remain silent, and focus on actually vacating the premises?” Dirk grumbled as they turned the corner. He stepped forward wrong and the pain from his healing gunshot wound flared, causing him to stumble, saved only by Bart’s vice like grip.

“You get all wordy when you’re angry.”

“Bart I–” Something caught his attention, stopping him in the hall. Vogel had stopped as well and looked back at Dirk, a smile on his face. Dirk wasn’t sure what was happening. He could smell something wonderful, but he could not ever remember smelling it before. The scent was warm and inviting and made Dirk’s chest flutter. Vogel howled and raced back to Dirk.

“They’re here! They’re here, man!” he cried, shaking Dirk’s free shoulder and making quick circles around Bart and Dirk. Assistent had made his way back to the group.

“Who’s here?” Assistent asked, trying to get a hold of Vogel who was still running in circles. Vogel slowed and smiled again, pointing down the hall towards the next corner.

“It’s–”

“Dirk!”

Dirk glanced up just as a figure slid around the corner. Dirk would recognize them anywhere, even if the world were ending, and he had gone blind, Dirk would recognize Todd. Todd was dressed like a base guard, a metal baseball bat in his hand. As soon as they locked eyes Todd dropped the bat. Dirk hadn’t noticed that Bart had let him go until he was running down the hall, very haphazardly, but he was going to do this on his own. Todd raced the remaining distance and caught Dirk as his legs finally gave out.

“Todd! It’s you! You’re here! You came to rescue us!”

“Of course I did! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Why are you limping? What happened to you–”

“Shut up!” Dirk dragged him in by his lapel for a kiss. And it didn’t matter where they were or who was watching because he had Todd back, and they were together and that’s all that mattered.

They pulled apart and Dirk leaned down, resting his head on Todd’s forehead. Dirk took a deep breath through his nose and smiled.

“It was you. The smell. You smell amazing by the way.” Todd laughed.

“Thanks, I think. You’re okay though, right?” Todd said, looking him over and then moving slightly to look over Dirk’s shoulder. Vogel had appeared. The manic energy he had a moment before gone as he approached Todd.

“Pup– Todd, I, I didn’t mean to– I just, I couldn’t–” Todd silenced Vogel by pulling him in for a tight hug, the youngest Rowdy starting at the movement but relaxing after a moment.

“Vogel, it’s not your fault. It’s Blackwing. It wasn’t your fault okay. You kept him safe and brought him back to me. You’re both safe, that’s all that matters. Now, let’s get you all out of here.” Todd released Vogel and became Dirk’s support as they headed back towards the bat he had dropped. The bat was gone, replaced by Mona who stood at the end of the hall, waving down at the others.

“Dirk!”

“Hi, Mona. You made it back to the Ridgely I see.” She nodded and took up position under Dirk’s other arm, Todd on the left, and Mona on the right. Vogel raced ahead around the corner as the others walked along behind him.

“I see you found Bart.” Todd said, trying to make light conversation as they walked.

“I found him, Brotzman. He was all laid up, and half dead. Not that I did that, I haven’t done nothing in here.” Bart said, jabbing Assistent in the side playfully. Assistent seemed terrified by the very idea of having to be near Bart.

“Oh, well thanks Bart and, um, not Ken?” Assistent looked over when he realized Todd was talking to him and nodded.

“Sure thing. How did you get into the facility?” he asked as they rounded the corner and saw the doors to the kitchen.

“Oh, we–”

“Farah?” Dirk asked, smiling over. Todd laughed and nodded.

“Yeah, Farah. But, specifically through the main entrance and then I came in through this loading bay. I just, I had a feeling.” Dirk glanced over at Todd as Vogel pushed open a pair of double doors, leading into a rather outdated looking kitchen. They were so close, Dirk could see the door.

“Almost there.” Todd said, directing towards the door he had left propped open. And then just like that they were outside, proper outside. In the afternoon heat, saved only by the fact that the loading bay was in a shaded area. Todd led their small group towards the stairs that led out onto what Dirk thought looked an awful like a runway. Did planes land here? It would make sense if they needed to bring subjects from farther away.

With each step Dirk felt more and more up to walking on his own. He let go of Mona first who smiled at him and shifted quickly into a watch that sat on his wrist. Todd was a different story. He didn’t want to let go of Todd, but he didn’t need the support to walk anymore so he slipped his hand and hooked it around his waist. Todd smiled over as they rounded the corner of the building and headed towards a rather nice looking black van. He could make out Tina and Amanda sitting in the front seats waving.

“There’s our ride.” Todd said, pulling Dirk a little faster forward. They were so close. Of course the universe didn’t care about that.

“Stop right there, Svlad.” Anger boiled in Dirk’s chest as he turned around, coming face to face with Ken and his gun. Deja vu swept over Dirk as he realized he had already done this exact same thing already.

“Ken.” Bart moved forward, placing themself between the group and the gun.

“Don’t do this Ken. Let us go. The universe don’t want us here no more.”

“See I’m not so sure about that Bart. You’re here now, and I caught you. Who’s to say that’s not what is exactly supposed to happen?” Ken asked, looking from Bart to Dirk.

“Because, if we wasn’t supposed to get out, we wouldn’t have gotten this far. You know that? You said you understood how it works.” Dirk could hear the pain in Bart’s voice. This had been their only friend, the one they thought understood them the most, and it turned out he was no good, just like everyone else Bart had ever come across.

“Don’t do this Ken.” Bart tried again.

“Move or I _will_ shoot you Bart.” Ken said, his voice cold.

“No you won’t. You can’t. Remember? The universe won’t allow it. Only constants are me and gravity.” Ken paused for a moment, staring Bart down. After a moment he adjusted his gun slightly, taking aim at Dirk.

“Fine, then I’ll shoot them.” Dirk felt Todd tense at his side, slightly pushing Dirk behind him.

“No you won’t. Their not gonna get hurt neither. They’re under my protection.”

And Dirk felt the universe tip just a little to the left. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but even if Ken fired, with his clear shot at Dirk’s chest just to the left of Bart, he knew the bullet would miss, or the gun would jam, or he’d be out of bullets. Dirk could feel it in his bones. Whatever made Bart invulnerable was now covering their whole group.

Dirk glanced over at them. This person who he feared, who had tried to kill him not once but twice. They weren’t a weapon. They were a shield.

“We’ll see about that.” And Ken pulled the trigger.

But nothing happened, short of the gun making a clicking noise.

Nobody breathed as they watched Ken look down at the gun, confusion crossing his face. He tried again, this time aiming at Assistent and pulling the trigger. Assistent yelped and ducked behind Bart who threw him an amused glance.

“Like I said Ken, that ain’t gonna work.” Bart said.

Dirk was moving forward before he knew what he was doing. He covered the distance to Ken in a matter of moments and let the nose of the gun push against his chest.

“You can’t contain it. You can’t control it. And right now, at this very moment, you have a choice Ken. You can drop the gun and leave this place behind, or you can fire and see what happens next.”

“Dirk!” Todd yelped but Dirk heard Bart grab a hold of him before he could move farther forward.

“You’re not invincible, Svlad. That’s not how your abilities work.” Ken said, but he sounded far less confident than he had a moment prior.

“Firstly. That’s not my name. And if you say it again I’m going to be less than cordial. And secondly. I don’t even know how it works, what makes you think you do? What gives you the divine wisdom that I have yet to glean? I’ve lived with this all my life. And I have no idea what I’m doing. All I know for sure, is that no matter how many bullets are in that gun, none of them are going to harm us. So what will it be Ken. Do you want to be the hero, or the villain?” Ken blinked slowly, looking down at the gun and then back up at Dirk.

But he took too long to decide. Vogel appeared from around Dirk and hit the gun away with what remained of the IV stand he had, dragging Dirk backward towards the group. Ken shouted, clutching his hand to his chest as the others ran towards the van. Bart had remained, watching as Ken regained his balance.

“You’re not gonna be able to control us. It don’t work like that. I’m sorry you think it does.” They turned to go, pausing to look back once more. “Don’t let me see you again, the universe still ain’t too pleased with you.” and then they were running.

“Bart come on!” Dirk called as Todd threw the van door open. There were loud snarls coming from the front of the facility as the fully shifted Rowdy three barreled out the doors. Vogel howled as they raced by, heading straight for the gate and Dirk could just make out the Rowdies van on the other side of the fence.

“Wait, where’s–”

“Get in the van! Get in the van! Go!” Farah appeared at the door where The Rowdy 3 had exited the facility, running faster than Dirk had ever seen her run before. Todd grabbed tight to the front of Dirk’s jumpsuit and dragged him into the first seat, Farah diving in after them.

Amanda threw the van into reverse sending everyone not sitting properly onto the floor and violently slamming the van door. They lurched forward and sped after The Rowdy 3 who had already made it back to their van with Hobbs at the wheel and were heading quickly down the road.

“Why are we fleeing so quickly?!” Dirk shouted from underneath Todd.

“I set up some minor, well not minor, but some small–”

A loud explosion rocked the van, deafening all with extra good hearing. Dirk screamed, or at least he thought he did, and cupped his hands to his ears. He could see Farah’s mouth moving from the seat above him but all he could hear was ringing. He glanced over at Todd to see if he was faring any better and found him smiling at him.

Dirk didn’t care that they had almost died, or that Farah had most certainly just detonated a large portion of Blackwing; in fact, he was quite pleased about that bit. But none of it mattered, because Todd was there and smiling and real. Like, really real.

Dirk took a deep breath and there was the smell again; Todd. And he didn’t care that Farah was probably still talking, he grabbed the front of Todd’s uniform and pulled him in for another kiss. After a moment they pulled apart and Todd rested his head on Dirk’s forehead.

_I love you._

Dirk’s eyes snapped open and he looked up at Todd who was still smiling at him.

_I love you, too._

And Todd leaned down for another kiss as Dirk slowly began to hear Farah yelling at Amanda about directions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, looks the the gang is all good! Nothing can go wrong now! It's not like anyone dangerous was mysteriously missing from the breakout scene : ) -Sam  
> Like Sam said, what could go wrong? Aside from the fact that there's still a whole other part left! :D -Sarah


	3. All My Friends Are Werewolves and They Won't Stop Dying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the final chapter. It was a crazy journey. With ups and downs, death, and lots of pain. But we promised a happy ending, and by god we're gonna give you one. 
> 
> Really quick though. We murder someone towards the end. Alas, the chicken does not live. It's a bit of deep cut reference but it'll make sense...maybe. Look somebody dies, it's not a nice somebody, so, we feel okay about it. Just wanted to let you know. Ya know, if murder isn't your thing.
> 
> Anyway! Thank you for reading and please enjoy this final chapter! (maybe, at least for now)

**Desert sunsets are nice to watch when fleeing a super-secret government agency**

They had been driving for nearly four hours before they stopped, pulling off the road and heading into the desert a ways and parking the vans in a small rocky area. They hadn’t stopped since leaving Blackwing, everyone adjusting in the seats to get comfortable once the ringing from the explosion has faded.

Todd had claimed the entire back row, ignoring the seat belts and electing to instead sit the length of the seat and let Dirk lay across him while they drove. Dirk had fallen asleep almost immediately, while Todd carefully rubbed circles into his arm. When they had finally stopped he had waited for everyone else to pile out of the van to stretch their legs before waking Dirk.

“Dirk?” Dirk let out a sad groan and tightened his grip on Todd’s arm that was wrapped around his chest.

“Dirk, we’re gonna get out for a little bit, do you want to stand up?” Dirk shook his head, still not opening his eyes. Todd glanced up at the door to where Vogel was standing.

“Vogel it’s okay, go on without us, we’ll just hang in here.” Todd said. Vogel looked worried but nodded, hopping away to join the other Rowdies who had piled out of their van. Todd took a deep breath, taking in Dirk’s scent and realizing that he was panicking. Not as much as he had the last couple of days, but enough to draw Todd’s attention.

“Is everything alright? You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, it’s just, you seem a little anxious.” Todd spoke softly, leaning down a little so that his voice ruffled Dirk’s hair. Dirk sighed, his eyes still tightly shut.

“I’m worried that if I open my eyes you’ll disappear, and the whole thing, the escape, will have been nothing more than a dream.” Todd didn’t know what to say, so instead he carefully pushed Dirk into a sitting position.

“Hey, look at me.” Todd carefully pulled Dirk’s chin to face him and watched as Dirk slowly opened his eyes. Todd gave a soft smile as their eyes met.

“Am I still here?” Todd asked. Dirk smiled, and nodded, curling back down into Todd’s chest.

“You’re really real.” Dirk said. Todd rubbed his back and looked down. Dirk’s sleeve had pushed up slightly and Todd could see the edges of the scars tucking out from under the sleeve. Dirk must have felt the shift in Todd’s emotions because he sighed and turned himself so that he was laying on his back, slowly raising his arm up and pulling the sleeve down.

The scars were nothing more than white streaks dragging all around Dirk’s forearm, but seeing them made sadness well up inside Todd’s chest. He couldn’t save Dirk from this.

“He thought you were going to hate him. He really likes you, you know? Vogel. Did you know his first name is Jacob? I didn’t. Anyway. He was so concerned that you would hate him if he fed off of me. And then he was so upset that he had bit me, that I hadn’t been allowed to choose. It’s very hard to change that boy’s mind. I’m sure the whole ordeal with the full moon did him absolutely no good, emotionally.” Todd remained silent as Dirk began to trace the scars.

“We were talking about it before– before everything. Him getting the bite. He asked for it, from the other Rowdies. I mean, he said he had been hurt, but I never really got to ask about that. But he wanted to be like his family. And for a moment, I thought, maybe. Maybe I’ll ask, and maybe Todd will say yes. And then the universe said no, and there was a part of me that wanted it more. That small part that hates the hunches.

“It was my fault this happened. I shouldn’t have run at him. He was just so concerned you would hate him.” Dirk had gotten quieter as he spoke. Todd reached up, slowly touching the scars and feeling Dirk’s panic flare in his chest.

“You thought about asking?” Todd asked. Dirk relaxed slightly, but only slightly.

“I know what it feels like to be alone. I’ve always known, I’ve always been alone. Even when I was around people I was alone. Spending time with the Rowdies has been wonderful, feeling like I wasn’t the only one in the universe. But you feel like that sometimes, when they aren’t there. You’re never alone when the moon is full, when they come back into town, but sometimes, I could feel it, in the off days. I know you had me, and Farah, but it felt like something was missing. And I knew the feeling. And I thought, that maybe I could make that feeling go away. So I was going to ask. I wanted it to be you.”

“Dirk, I don’t think I could have–”

“No, I know. But, if it had come down to it, I wanted to discuss it with you, and then I wanted it to be you. I didn’t want it to go this way, but, it’s okay. I don’t blame Vogel. It’s not his fault, and it’s very important to him that you don’t blame him either. And me. I don’t want you to blame Vogel. He couldn’t help it. If we want to blame one of us, then it was my fault. Or we could always just blame Blackwing. It’s who I blame for most of my problems.” He tried to laugh but it was hollow. Todd could feel the numbness thinking about Blackwing brought with it.

“I don’t want to blame anyone. I’m just glad you’re both back, safe, with us. Where you both belong.” there was a pause.

“But you’re upset.” Dirk said. “You’re upset about what happened.”

“Well, yeah, I am.” Todd said, being sure to keep his tone steady. “But I’m not angry, I’m sad, Dirk. You were perfect. You are perfect. You didn’t need to change for me. I wouldn’t have wanted you to change for me, especially so drastically. But you’re still perfect. You’re still you, and you’re all I want.” Todd carefully took Dirk’s hand, lowering it down to his chest.

“I would have wanted it to be me as well. Nothing against Vogel, but, if we had agreed, and if you were sure it was what you wanted. I would have wanted it to be me too.” They stayed in the silence for a while. Todd holding Dirk close while Dirk tried not to fall back to sleep. The sound of the others outside trying to decide what to do next could be heard through the open door.

Todd turned his head to look at the door a moment before Vogel appeared. Vogel started back a little when he found Todd looking at him but tried for a smile.

“Is, uh, is Dirk okay?” Dirk waved his other hand over the seat.

“Hi Vogel. Just resting.” Vogel nodded and carefully climbed back into the van, taking over the seat right in front of Dirk and Todd.

“Okay, well, I just, I wanted– I’m–”

“Vogel.” Dirk cut him off. “It’s okay. Really. You have nothing to be upset about.” Vogel nodded, resting his head on the back of the seat.

“Can I stay? Here with you guys?” Todd nodded.

“Of course, but don’t you want to hang with the Rowdies?” Vogel nodded but continued to look down at Dirk.

“Yeah, but, I’ve gotta be responsible. Martin is always telling me to be responsible, ya know? And I’m responsible for Dirk. So, I need to stay here.” It didn’t sound like some chore he had to complete, it just sounded like a fact, that even if they had said no, Vogel wouldn’t have strayed far from the van.

“Hear that Dirk? Vogel is responsible for you. I’ve been replaced as Holistic Guard Dog.” Todd laughed, giving Dirk’s hand a squeeze.

“I called you that once, and I apologized. Must I bear this cross forever?” Dirk groaned. Vogel smiled and looked between them.

“Oh!” Todd continued, “Does this mean I’m not ‘Pup’ anymore? Cause I mean technically-”

“Vogel if you call me that I will start calling you Fido.” Dirk looked up at Vogel who was nodding in agreement with Dirk.

“Nah, Pup, Dirk is Dirk.” It was Todd’s turn to groan, pushing back farther into the wall of the van. Dirk and Vogel laughed as Todd glared them down.

“It’s never going away is it?” Todd grumbled. Dirk shook his head, tipping back to look up at him.

“You’re stuck with it until we find a funnier– I mean, more appropriate one.” Dirk said, grinning from ear to ear. Vogel snorted as Todd tossed his hands into the air. Dirk sat up slowly, twisting so that his feet were on the ground.

“Well, what do you say, should we get out and stretch for a bit?” Dirk asked, smiling back at Todd. He nodded his head and watched as Dirk followed after Vogel and out the door into the evening desert air.

Todd hopped from the van and landed next to Dirk who had paused to stretch his arms over his head. The others were a ways off near a small group of rocks, chatting in various forms of relaxed around a growing fire that Todd was sure the Rowdies had started. Amanda glanced up and smiled but didn’t move towards them, probably thinking that they would walk over when they were ready. Vogel was still there, slowly rocking on his heels just to the side of Dirk.

As Todd stretched Dirk glanced around and started walking away from the group and over to another section of rocks. Vogel followed close behind and Todd jogged to catch up. Dirk scaled one of the rocks and sat down, Vogel taking the one slightly higher up. Todd sat carefully next to Dirk and followed his gaze out across the darkening desert.

The sun was setting in the distance, casting long shadows and dousing the already orange desert in golden light. The blue sky had turned almost purple and Todd could see stars beginning to dot the night sky. Their distance from any city assured him that they would see more stars than they normally did and he found himself wondering if it would be dark enough to see the Milky Way.

“It’s been quite a while since the last time I was in the American desert. I forgot how strangely beautiful it is here.” Dirk said quietly, not taking his eyes off the horizon. Todd glanced over and smiled.

“It is, isn’t it?” The three of them sat quietly watching as the last glows of sunlight dipped below the horizon and the night sky lit up above them. Todd had moved his gaze up, watching as stars and planets blinked into existence. He could hear Farah get out the food that they had picked up on the way down and looked over at Vogel who had turned his head longingly.

“Go on, see if there’s anything good.” Todd said, smiling up at him as he nodded and leapt down from the rocks. Dirk had turned his head upwards and was still staring at the stars as Vogel headed over to join the others. A sadness had begun to build in Todd’s chest and he watched as Dirk seemed to be holding back tears. Todd scooted in closer, wrapping his arm around Dirk’s shoulder.

“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” Todd whispered. He felt Dirk nod and lean into the embrace.

“I know. It’s just, it all reminds me of the first time when we escaped, and I was just wondering how many more times I’m going to find myself running through this place, fleeing Blackwing.” Todd gripped him tighter.

“I’m going to make sure that the answer to that is never again. They’re not going to take you, none of you. I promise.” Todd said, resting his head against Dirk’s.

“But right now, you need food. Are you up to walking over and talking with the others?” Todd asked. Dirk sighed but nodded his head. Todd tightened his grip on Dirk’s shoulder once more before sliding back off of the rocks, Dirk close at his heels. They made it back to the group who were still piled around the campfire.

Everyone turned and smiled, a few ‘heys’ were exchanged but beyond that nothing was really said. They all just relaxed in the warm evening air, watching as the fire sent embers to join the stars.

* * *

_**Wednesday** _

**Surprise! Not only can I feel your emotions, but also your pain**

Dirk woke to Todd rubbing circles onto his back. They had gone back to the van after about an hour or so of socializing with the others and had taken over the backseat once more. Dirk hadn’t been able to keep his eyes open and thankfully had a dreamless sleep.

“All I’m saying is they scare me, ya’ know?” Assistent was speaking quietly and Dirk felt Todd laugh.

“Bart scares all of us, and if they don’t you’re kidding yourself.” Todd responded, still rubbing circles onto Dirk’s back.

“At least they’ve never tried to kill you. Twice, I might add.” Dirk said, still not opening his eyes.

“Good point.” Todd said.

“Wait. Bart _tried_ to kill you?” Dirk nodded his head and looked up at the amazed face of Assistent as he sat backwards in the seat right in front of them. He pushed himself up carefully, untangling himself from Todd and running a hand through his hair.

“Twice. They found me in the middle of Seattle and chased me up some god awful stairs that led to nowhere, horrible design flaw if I do say so myself, and then they tried again right at the end of the whole Patrick Spring case. Next time we saw them was Bergsberg. Bart is, well, in all honesty I’m not too sure what Bart is, but they certainly are something else.” Dirk said, smiling lightly over at Todd. Assistent made a hmph noise and leaned back against the wall of the van.

“That’s crazy. Supervisor Adams always made it sound like he was special for hanging around Bart and them not killing him. But you seem to be proof to the contrary.”

“I believe at this point, we’re all proof to the contrary, you included Mr. Assistent.” Dirk responded. Todd snorted, glancing over at Assistent.

“Wait, your name is Assistent?” Todd asked. Dirk frowned.

“Well of course it is, Todd. What have you all been calling him?”

“Ethan.”

“Ethan?”

“Yeah,” apparently Ethan interrupted, “My first name’s Ethan.” Dirk just gawked at him.

“You seem surprised by that?” Ethan asked. Dirk shook his head and laughed.

“Honestly, I just thought your whole name _was_ Assistent, which in sight of hind seems rather silly of me to assume something– oh, we’re moving.” Dirk had just noticed that the landscape visible over Ethan’s shoulder was in fact moving. He quickly noticed the sound of the engine and Farah and Tina discussing directions. Todd glanced out the window and nodded.

“Yeah, Farah said we should be able to get to a real city here in a couple hours, and then we can get everyone a change of clothes. We left Seattle without really grabbing clothing options, so, that’s stop number one, well, maybe after food.” Dirk was smiling. They were going shopping for clothes that didn’t come in shades of gray and black and white. Except for the Rowdies, who seemed to exist only to wear dark colors.

After seeing the jumpsuits they had to wear though, he supposed he could understand. Dirk had taken to his bright jackets because they contrasted so much with the Blackwing uniform he’d worn for most of his childhood. The Rowdies’ jumpsuits were, if Vogel’s was any indication, very bright. It was only natural they would have gravitated to dark colors.

Dirk found himself staring out the window, listening to Todd and Ethan discuss plans for the next couple of days, daydreaming about anything other than shades of gray. He didn’t notice the time tick by as they drove.

They had only been driving for a couple hours when Dirk got a hunch. He called up to Farah asking if it would be possible to pullover somewhere with a bathroom and she provided one. The small roadside attraction featured not only a place to sleep, but a place to eat, and fantastic stone huts just a short distance away.

Everyone piled out of the vans into the hot morning air and stretched. Dirk frowned over at Bart and Vogel. He hated that they were all wearing complementary jumpsuits, that would be the first thing to change as soon as they found clothes.

Farah, Tina, and Hobbs all headed towards the Saloon in search of breakfast. Bart dragged Ethan off to the right towards the lodge as they put it ‘to find something to do’, leaving all of the Rowdies, Todd and Dirk at the vans. Dirk glanced over towards Vogel who was being fawned over by the others. They’d surrounded him, asking him if he wanted to wear any of the new clothes. He nodded, but thinking about the fact that he was still wearing the jumpsuit seemed to have put him in a somber mood.

He had been like this ever since the breakout.

Dirk shifted on his feet, nodding a bit to himself. Dirk had had a chance to talk it out with Todd, but had yet had a chance to really, truly talk to Vogel. He needed to remedy that. At least he wanted to try to comfort him.

“Uh, actually!” Dirk spoke up from his place next to Todd, earning curious glances from the six Rowdies. Beast tilted her head.

“Bibbit say somsing?”

“Yes! I uh! I almost forgot! I had something to give Vogel, and– It’s very important! So! I think you should all maybe head off while I, give it to him.”

Dirk gave a meaningful look to Martin, who returned the expression. Dirk knew that he would be pulled into a talk with him sooner or later, it was inevitable. Either that, or they were just going to start kidnapping him on the full moons without warning like they had done Todd. He suspected though that one of the Rowdies had already made him part of the pack, whether he liked it or not.

Looking at Todd, he didn’t really mind.

Martin nodded, crossing his arms.

“Let’s find a nice place to sit, boys and girls.” He threw his hand into the air, earning a cry from the others as they followed Martin’s example. Vogel smiled, but looked oddly distant as the Rowdies headed away from the van. Dirk felt a stab of panic.

“Uh! Amanda!”

“Hm?”

She turned back to Dirk, walking backwards. Dirk gave her a desperate expression, and she broke into a wicked grin as she sprinted back and grabbed Todd’s arm. Todd yelped, stumbling as Amanda pulled him forward.

“Amanda, I don’t think–”

“We’ll just be right there! Don’t worry, man!”

“Amanda–”

There wasn’t any use fighting against Amanda, and Dirk made a mental note to thank her later as she pulled Todd away. Vogel was staring at the ground now, once again going unusually quiet. Dirk moved slower, sliding next to where he was dangling from the back of the van. Vogel still didn’t make any sort of move toward Dirk.

He’d been odd ever since the breakout. For a few hours, it had seemed like he would go back to normal. It wasn't meant to last, though; once the manic energy had worn off from their escape, Vogel had become quiet and withdrawn from everyone around him. Even Martin’s battle cries couldn’t stir him. It was doubtful he had gotten much sleep, either.

Dirk started first.

“Vogel, I–”

“I’m sorry, Dirk.”

“Huh?”

Vogel looked up at Dirk. Not for the first time since he had known him, he looked like he was going to cry. It was something more, though. This was past guilt; it was something deeper. He looked defeated, resigned.

“I should’ve been able to do it, you know man? Last time Blackwing came I like, took out half of them. But I couldn’t even get to them this time! And we got captured and you got hurt and bitten and almost died! I don’t know what happened man! It’s like–” Vogel stopped, trying to find the right word.

“He’s like, scary, you know? That Priest guy. Martin is always saying I’ll never see him again but now he’s been wrong twice! He’s never wrong! What if they come back? What if he comes back and someone gets hurt and I can’t do anything and-”

Vogel trailed off, his breathing starting to become uneven. Dirk patted his back; he wasn’t yet sure what kind of contact Vogel preferred. Vogel let out a breath, and Dirk found himself being enveloped in a hug. It became apparent that the boy was shaking.

One moment and a few shakes later, Dirk realized that Vogel was crying, too. He pulled him tighter into the hug.

“He isn’t going to hurt you again, Vogel. Or your family. You’re safe from him. Do you really think he can get close to you with Amanda there? Or Farah or Martin or Cross or Gripps or any number of people really? Your family is made up of werewolves and angry people. And Bart, apparently. Do you really think he can get past that?”

Dirk felt him shake his head.

“And honestly. None of this is your fault. I was the one with a hunch, Vogel, not you. You didn’t cause this any more than Friedkin did, and he’s dead. Probably. Maybe. It doesn’t matter. But it’s not on you any more than it’s on Amanda’s or whatever. I don’t, know what he did to you. And you’re probably never going to talk about it to many people and that’s okay. I do that too. But it isn’t your fault. If anything, we can blame Ken.”

Vogel didn’t respond, but the shaking had let up some. Some ways away, Amanda was pointing out the hug to the boys.

“Please don’t be upset, Vogel.”

Vogel pulled out of the embrace to look up at Dirk, and even though his face was tear stained, he smiled at him.

“But you’re upset too, Dirk.”

Dirk nodded, glancing down for a second. He wasn’t feeling his best, but hopefully that would change after he had gotten out of the jumpsuit and spent more time with Todd. They still had a lot of time to make up for.

“That’s true. But, I know it’s going to be okay, even if it doesn’t feel like it sometimes. I have Todd and Farah. And you have all _five_ members of your family. That’s _got_ to count for something.”

Dirk looked around.

“Just don’t ignore it. It’ll get worse if you don’t talk about it. Your family will be happy to help you.”

Vogel pulled away completely, curling into himself as he contemplated his next words. Dirk didn’t interrupt his thought process; whatever he wanted to say would be heard in due time. Finally, Vogel looked over.

“But like, you’re already helping. And Todd- Pup wants to too. And I’m like, pretty sure you count as my family too, you know man?”

Dirk stared in surprise before breaking out in an identical, sheepish grin that Vogel was wearing.

“I’d be honored, Vogel. But I must warn you. My family seems to run into aliens an awful lot. It’s quite unnerving. Especially out here, in the desert. They like it here.”

“Aliens?”

“Yeah. You can meet them next time we find one. Should bring Ethan too, probably.”

Dirk jumped onto the ground; the desert floor was hot on his bare feet. The Blackwing medical ward didn’t provide shoes for their sick patients. He needed to remedy that. He glanced at the group, who had already inexplicably set up a place for everyone to hang out. Where they got the materials was beyond him. He turned to Vogel.

“We should probably get out of these jumpsuits. I’m sure Amanda and Todd have something for us to wear.”

Vogel was already on his feet, a trace of his energy back in his step. There was a bag in Amanda’s hands; how had she gotten it from the van? It was opened, and she was pulling out clothes. Cross reached out to catch a piece of cloth that was nearly thrown to the ground before waving Vogel and Dirk over. Vogel waved back, earning a chuckle from the group. Even Dirk couldn’t suppress his smile.

“Vogel, look at this,” said Amanda as Vogel hugged her tightly from behind. “We don’t have your favorite jacket, but Cross’s old one looks like it can fit!”

“Yeah little bird! And Martin has some old pants!” Cross lifted his drink in acknowledgement; where had the drink come from?

“Yup!” Gripps joined in too, smiling fondly at Vogel. “Got nice old shirts. Real nice. You’ll love ‘em.”

“Guys!”

Vogel looked like he was going to cry again, and somehow managed to pull Cross, Gripps, and Amanda into a hug at the same time. They hugged back, and for a second it looked like they didn’t want to break apart. Dirk felt warmth spread in his chest as he watched them. A hand touched his shoulder lightly, and his heart nearly flew out of his chest. He tensed before he could get hit.

Oh, it was just Martin. Dirk tried to relax, but he was already visibly shaken. Martin smiled softly at him before handing him a small pile of clothes.

“Here ya’ go, Brit. Tried to find stuff that wasn’t real dark for ya’.”

Dirk stared at the clothes in his hands; the top of the pile contained a dark red and black flannel. He felt a laugh rise up in his throat, and he looked up to return Martin’s smile.

“Thank you Martin. You’re rather an enjoyable person when you’re not trying to scare me.”

“Hah. Thanks Brit.”

Dirk nodded, looking around for Todd. He was sitting next to Amanda, shifting uncomfortably as Gripps visibly contemplated dragging him into the group hug. Dirk paused for a second, debating on whether to let Todd fall to the mercy to the Rowdies. If it had been any other day, he just might have.

But he needed him right now.

“Todd? Could you help me get out of this jumpsuit? I don’t actually know how to undo it.”

Amanda looked over at him, wriggling her eyebrows. Dirk looked away, going red. He really, truly didn’t know how to get it off by himself. Ken seemed to have changed the design a bit; the jumpsuit he wore was now one piece, and the only way to get it off was to undo the buttons in the back. He’d been helped out of it a few times now for… private business, but there had been nothing else to wear at the time. Stupid universe, not giving him proper clothes.

“Oh! Hey! Wait!”

Vogel jumped out of the near dogpile, and pushed past Dirk back towards the van. He jumped onto the hood, and he was soon sifting through the boxes secured to the roof. Dirk looked back to Amanda, who shrugged.

“Got it!”

Dirk tensed a bit as Vogel jumped off the roof – was he alright? Vogel landed in a crouch, and started sprinting to Dirk. Martin looked bemused as Vogel held out a single, yellow smiley face pin.

“Here Dirk! I got lots of them! I know you hate wearing dark clothes! This can make it better!”

Dirk felt another smile worm it’s way onto his face, and the warm feeling in his chest only grew. It was a warm, homely feeling. Had Dirk really, actually begun to grow attached to the Rowdies? He thought he’d seen it all, but obviously he was wrong.

“Thank you, Vogel. I can’t wait to wear it.” Dirk held the pin tightly, and Vogel beamed at him. “Todd! Come on I need help!”

He saw Todd shake his head as he turned to the van, but he also didn’t miss the distinct smile on his face.

The inside of the van was a mess from the four days of driving, but by Rowdy standards it was fairly normal. Dirk brushed aside a few Mcdonalds wrappers, and gave a pointed look to the spot next to him. Todd bit his lip to hide his smile as he climbed into the van, closing the door behind him.

Dirk put down the pile of clothes. He closed his eyes; he was suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. The scars. Todd would see the scars. He’d see all of them. Dirk took an unsteady breath.

“Dirk? Hey. Hey what’s wrong?” Todd hesitated, his hand over Dirk’s arm. When Dirk didn’t stop him, he took that as an invitation to go ahead and touch him. Todd wrapped his arms around Dirk, embracing him from behind and resting his head in the crook of his neck. He reached up to brush the hair out of Dirk’s eyes. Todd tried to push his own calm feelings into Dirk, who had started to panic.

He wouldn’t let Dirk panic. Dirk needed calm.

“Do you want to change later? We can wait.”

“No. No it’s. I want to get out of this, thing. I do. I just…” Dirk swallowed dryly. “I don’t want you to see what… what He did. And what happened with Vogel.”

“He?” It took Todd a second to realize who Dirk was talking about. Priest. Of course it was Priest. Todd remembered the pain he had felt in the last week, the injuries he had felt Dirk sustain. What had that madman done to him?

Dirk shuddered.

“Hey. Hey, Dirk. I’m right here, it’s okay.”

“It’s not.” Dirk closed his eyes, breathing Todd’s scent in as he felt the calm wave from him. “It doesn’t matter how fast I can heal or, whatever. My whole… body, is scarred to high hell. I don’t even want to _think_ –”

“Hey.”

Todd spun Dirk around, wrapping his hands around his face and touching his forehead to Dirk’s. They stayed like that for a moment, and the anxiety around them slowly faded. Todd ran his hands through Dirk’s hair.

“He can’t get to you anymore, Dirk. And these scars can’t hurt you. Nothing can hurt you if I’m here, okay?” Dirk stared at Todd. He leaned into him, and this time, Dirk shuddered with relief.

“Thank you, Todd. I–” Dirk paused for a second. “I love you, you know that?”

“Yeah. I know. I love you too.” Todd couldn’t stop the grin from forming on his face. “Now let’s get you out of these clothes so we can burn them.”

Todd unbuttoned the jumpsuit, and the shirt under it was the most bland piece of clothing Todd had ever seen Dirk wear. He frowned, and let the top part of the ugly jumpsuit fall to hang at Dirk’s waist. Dirk hesitated for a second, but slowly took off the shirt too. Todd held his breath.

Holy _shit._

There was a nasty stab wound on Dirk’s shoulder, and Todd felt a phantom ache in his own. It looked even deeper than it had felt, and if it had hurt Todd that bad, there was no telling what it had done to Dirk. Todd would have been able to regain his breathing after looking at the scar for a few minutes, but the scars on Dirk’s midriff nearly made Todd sick. Oh God, how much had Dirk bled? How close was he to Vogel when he attacked? What had he–

Todd paused. This wasn’t Vogel’s fault; not by a long shot. It was Blackwing. They were the ones who had done this to Dirk.

It was _Ken._

The scars covered nearly the entirety of Dirk’s torso, and it almost looked as if huge chunks of his actual flesh had been missing. Over Dirk’s heart was a bright red mark, with fine tendrils branching down and across his torso. Todd had seen the marks before, he’d had the marks before. They formed after intense electrocution. Had Dirk been electrocuted? Todd took a breath, and tore his eyes away before Dirk noticed him staring. Not that that sort of thing hadn’t happened in the past, but this was an entirely different sort of situation.

Todd grabbed the flannel, and he helped Dirk slip his arms through it. He went to help him button it up, but Dirk waved him off, opting to do it himself. His hands were shaking. Todd bit his lip, but Dirk responded with a smile as he pinned on the smiley face that Vogel had given him.

“What do you think?” Dirk’s voice was still a bit thick. “Is the pin too much? Too bright?”

“For you? I don’t think that’s possible.”

If Dirk had been feeling better, he would have beamed. Todd sighed, looking around for the pants.

“Right. Do you want help with this, or…”

“No no, it’s alright.” Dirk looked up at Todd. “I… wouldn’t mind help standing, though.”

Todd grunted as he lifted Dirk – gosh, how did he keep getting lighter? Was he eating? Dirk let out a small yelp as he slipped, but was able to catch himself on the side of the van. Finally, the van was filled with laughter.

“Right. Time to get out of this thing. Did you really mean it when you said you’d, burn it?” Todd nodded, and Dirk found himself nodding back. “Brilliant. I love it, as always.”

“Since when do you love any of my plans?”

“Oh hush.”

Dirk stepped out of the jumpsuit, and Todd felt one last strike of anger as he saw what looked like a gunshot wound on Dirk’s thigh. Goddamn Blackwing. The moment slipped by though, and this time Dirk seemed to notice.

“Todd? Todd? I hardly think this is the time–”

“Oh! Yeah, no no not now. I’m just, the uh, the gunshot… thing.” Dirk’s face fell, and Todd scrambled to find something to lighten the mood again. “But you know it’s– It’s cool! It’s fine! It doesn’t hurt anymore so… uh…”

_Shit._

“How would you know it doesn’t hurt anymore?”

“Huh?”

“The gunshot. You’re hardly the one who it happened to. How would you have any inkling of something like that? Granted I’m not limping anymore, which is a plus I suppose, but I think–”

“Dirk.”

Dirk stopped, going red. He’d started rambling again. Todd took a breath. This wasn’t the time. If Dirk found out that Todd could feel Dirk’s _pain…_ but he had to be honest with him. He had to be open. There was no way he was going to lie to him after losing him the way he had.

“Dirk, I…” Todd sighed. “When you got shot, in the alley. I could feel it. And when your head got hit, when you got stabbed and bitten and had your arm broken. I could feel, all of it. And God, I– you don’t deserve any of it. I know it doesn’t hurt anymore because… I would probably feel it if it did.”

Dirk had gone dead silent, and Todd didn’t break eye contact with Dirk’s horrified expression.

“You… felt it?” Dirk’s voice had gone quiet, breathless. He looked like he had just seen someone commit a murder.

He shouldn’t have said anything.

“Dirk, listen–”

“You _felt_ it? All of it? You felt it when– when Vogel… When Priest…”

“Hey. Hey Dirk. Just breathe, alright? It’s fine. I’m fine.”

Dirk couldn’t even laugh. He’d fallen onto the van floor, his legs only half entangled in the jeans. He looked like he was having difficulty breathing. Todd lowered himself onto his knees, trying to get Dirk to look at him.

“I’m fine, man. I’m okay. It’s never going to happen again. Okay?” Dirk turned his gaze to Todd; he looked like he was about to cry. Todd wrapped him in another hug. “I promise.”

“You promise?”

“I promise. I do.” Todd held Dirk even tighter.

“I… Todd, I… I think I, went somewhere. While I was in Blackwing.” Dirk had pulled away again, and was staring at the ground. “I don’t really know where, but… It was after the full moon, with Vogel. Everything got so calm and quiet and dark, and there wasn’t much at all, really. I don’t know where I went exactly, but… I don’t want to go there again.”

Todd was reminded with a sharp shock of when he’d felt Dirk die. He narrowed his eyes, turning Dirk’s head back up at his. He took an uncertain breath.

“You won’t. Ever.”

Dirk stared back at Todd for a moment, and they found themselves in another kiss.

“I love you, Todd.”

“I love you too, Dirk.”

There was a sharp banging at the van door, and both men jumped a mile high as Farah’s voice sounded from outside.

“Hurry up and get out here! The Rowdy Three are going to eat everything before you get a chance to eat!” Todd sighed again.

“Yeah! We’ll be right there!” Dirk looked down at his legs, only halfway into the jeans. They were definitely too big for him. Perhaps they could go to a thrift store.

“Right. Let me get in these so we can go eat.”

In the two minutes it took for Dirk and Todd to untangle Dirk’s legs and pull up the jeans, half of the food had already been devoured. Dirk squinted at the desert sun as they stepped outside; he was never coming to the desert ever again after this. It was only oceans and lakes from here on in. Todd slipped his hands into Dirk’s, and Dirk suppressed a smile.

“There better not only be watermelon poptarts!”

Todd led Dirk over toward the table. Mostly everyone was sitting around the table, save for Ethan and Bart who were still missing from the group. He wondered briefly where they had wandered off to and then realized that he didn’t want to know. Knowing Bart, it was probably nowhere good.

Todd slid into the spot next to Farah, Dirk taking the seat on his other side, and across from Amanda who was halfway through what looked like a breakfast burrito. She smiled at them as she took a drink of her water.

“Got all changed up I see?” Dirk nodded, returning the smile.

“Yes. I cannot articulate how marvelous it is to no longer be wearing that atrocious outfit. Gray is not a color I care to wear, and hopefully will never have to again.” Todd smiled and gave Dirk’s hand a slight squeeze under the table. Amanda took another bite of her burrito and continued to look at Dirk, Todd could almost see the gears in her brain working.

“Hey Dirk, can I ask you an odd question?” Dirk glanced up at her and nodded. Todd felt his panic spike and this time Dirk squeezed his hand back, trying to calm him down.

“Absolutely Amanda, what’s on your mind?” She took another drink, helping to clear her throat, and placed the rest of her breakfast down on the table leaning forward a little bit.

“Let me know if this is too personal, cause I don’t want to make you uncomfortable of anything, but like, what was it like?”

“I don’t think I follow. What was what like?”

No Amanda. No, no, no, no. Todd’s heartbeat started tapping out a rhythm on the back of his ribs. He knew Dirk could feel his panic and concern, because his hand tightened around Todd’s slightly.

“Well you know, dying, what was it like? Was there a light? Or anything after? Or anything like that?”

Todd could feel what nobody else could see. He could feel Dirk’s confusion, morph into fear, and finally understanding. Like a puzzle finally snapping together. He hadn’t realized. He hadn’t known.

“Oh, um, right, dying.” Dirk’s voice was surprisingly even for the amount of turmoil going on in his chest. Todd started rubbing small circles into the back of his hand and trying to push reassurance over to him.

“If it’s too personal, you don’t have to–”

“No, it’s, it’s okay, I just– I hadn’t– it wasn’t what I expected.” His voice remained steady, but it was lacking in all the chipperness that made-up who Dirk was.

“It was different than I had imagined. To be fair I don’t usually try to imagine, dying, but it wasn’t– it wasn’t what I had thought.” The others from around the table had quieted their own conversations and were listening in.

“It was just, dark, and quiet, and empty, and terribly lonely. But then, I felt this pull and I was back. It didn’t seem very long.” Todd was trying to keep his breathing rate normal. He should have told him, he should have told him back in the van. Todd just hadn’t realized that Dirk didn’t know that it had happened. Todd was glaring daggers at Amanda who seemed to have just caught on.

“Oh, well, it wasn’t terribly long. Right Todd?” She tried for upbeat but missed.

“Right.” Todd said. He could feel Dirk’s panic spike as he glanced over.

“But it’s all good.” Amanda continued. “Cause you guys are back and everything’s chill and– holy shit is that blood?” Everyone turned to follow Amanda’s gaze back towards the hotel. Bart and Ethan had reappeared, looking slightly redder than when they had vanished, well, Bart did, Ethan just looked like he was going to be sick.

“And on that super fun note, everyone back in the vans, right now.” Farah said, standing and grabbing as many things as she could carry. The others moved just as quickly, Todd dragging Dirk to his face and hurrying back to the van Farah had been driving.

“No, Bart! You and Ethan are in the Rowdy van, I’m not having you ruin the seats!” Farah shouted as Bart went to follow Dirk and Todd.

“Ugh, fine. So picky, these guys.” They dragged a traumatized Ethan towards the Rowdy’s van while Amanda hopped into Farah’s. Todd pulled Dirk back into the backseat and wrapped his arm carefully around Dirk’s shoulders. Dirk leaned into the motion and rested his head down on Todd’s shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Todd whispered as the rest of the group piled in around them, Farah encouraging leaving quickly. Dirk nodded slowly and entwined his hand with Todd’s free one.

“I just, I hadn’t realized.”

“I know.”

“Did you, know, that is?” Dirk asked, still not looking up. Todd sighed, drawing small circles into Dirk’s shoulder.

“I did.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Hey, no, stop it. You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. You’re fine. What happened happened, and now we move forward.” Dirk nodded as Farah quickly pulled out of the parking lot, the Rowdies close behind.

“Alright. Forward.” Dirk took a deep breath and settled closer to Todd. It wasn’t long before he was asleep, and then it wasn’t long after that that Todd felt himself nodding off, only to be awoken by Amanda shouting about Las Vegas.

* * *

_**2 Weeks after Blackwing** _

**Apparently, leaving teenagers in charge of towns is illegal or some bullshit**

They left Las Vegas with new clothes in hand and slightly fewer serial killers than there had been previously. Bart has assured them that everyone they’d killed was supposed to die, and knowing them they were probably right, but that hadn’t stopped them from bolting as soon as possible. Dirk wasn’t sure if Ethan was necessarily warming up to Bart, or more becoming numb to Bart’s activities, but he seemed slightly less terrified to be around them.

There had been a rather nice scene in the parking lot of an abandoned shop, where Gripps had made a bonfire to burn their Blackwing jumpsuits. It was a very… rowdy night, and even Dirk, Todd, and Farah joined in on the celebrations. Bart hadn’t taken part; by the time Ethan and them had come back, Bart was already dressed in something completely different, covered in more blood. Ethan looked traumatized, as always.

They had been following The Rowdy 3 north, for about four hours when Farah called back from the driver’s seat that they would be camping outside of Salt Lake City for a little bit. Dirk, who had curled up in the backseat with Todd glanced up slightly.

“Are there trees there?” He asked. It’s not that Dirk hated the desert, but more that he missed the constant green that Seattle provided. Besides, the desert only brought back uncomfortable memories from his childhood. Todd frowned and shook his head.

“No, it’s a lot of the same desert landscape. But there will be a lake. We can hang out there if you’d like. Maybe a few small trees if we’re lucky.” Dirk nodded looking back out the window to the brown landscape flying by as they drove up the freeway. It was boring to stare at, but the fact that he was staring at it from a van with his friends, with Todd, was absolutely liberating.

“Are you missing them? The trees?” Todd asked, bringing his hand up from Dirk’s waist to rub lightly over his shoulder. Dirk curled further into his touch.

“I believe it to be a distinct possibility. Seattle is just so green and it’s wonderful, and there’s just, nothing out here. It’s so much of the same. Flat, brown, hot, mountains in the distance. I’d much rather look out the window and see Mount Watershed.” Todd snorted.

“Rainier. It’s Mount Rainier, but close.”

“But you understand my point, yes?” Dirk asked, waving his hand dismissively.

“I do, yes. Maybe after Salt Lake we can convince Farah to head back over the Cascades, get us closer to some evergreen trees or something.” Todd glanced out the window as another green sign flew past that read ‘Salt Lake City, 30 Miles’.  He sighed in relief; the van was beginning to feel cramped.

“Besides. It won’t be long till we’re relaxing by the lake. Just focus on that.” Todd continued to rub small circles into Dirk’s shoulder.

“Is the lake actually made of salt, or is it a salt water lake?” Dirk asked. He could feel Todd shrug.

“I’m actually not sure. I’ve never been down this way before. All I know is that there is a lake, but there is also a giant salt flat somewhere. But I’m pretty sure there’s an actual lake.” He said, reaching up and tapping Ethan who was sitting in front of them, an unconscious Bart on his shoulder. He was no longer shying away from her touch, and instead was just lying still. If Todd didn’t know any better, he would have said that he was dead.

“Dude, do you know anything about Salt Lake City?” Ethan glanced back and shook his head.

“No, I’m originally from Portland, I haven’t been down here before either.” As he spoke Bart shifted slightly and his eyes went wide.

“Shush, sleepin’.” Bart mumbled, their hand reaching up and pushing on Ethan’s face. He sighed but turned back around as Dirk tried to suppress a giggle. Upon meeting eyes with Ethan, Dirk tried to make a serious face.

“Well, then, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?” He asked, looking up at Todd who was also smiling at the back of Ethan’s head.

They didn’t have to wait long. They made their campsite in just over half an hour and sure enough there was a real lake. Everyone piled out of the vans, the hot afternoon sun made standing still for too long rather unpleasant and Beast was already dragging Vogel down towards the lake. Within a few minutes, Gripps had already set up a small fire for everyone.

Todd hadn’t strayed too far from Dirk, in fact he hadn’t strayed too far from Dirk in the nearly week and a half they had been traveling, always within arm’s reach. Dirk took advantage of this by reaching out and grabbing Todd by the waist pulling him in tightly. Todd didn’t object, smiling up at him.

“So, this lake business. How would you feel about teaching me how to swim?” Dirk asked smiling down. Todd raised an eyebrow up at him.

“You can’t swim?”

“Nope. Never learned, never needed to really. I nearly did once, but the mermaids had different ideas. The lake presents an interesting opportunity to not die of heat stroke, so, swimming.” Dirk said gesturing slightly to the heat radiating off the ground. Todd nodded and looked over towards Farah and Tina who were already pulling out the couple of tents Farah had snagged from Vegas.

“How about, we help set up camp first, and then we’ll maybe go for a swim.” Todd said, entwining his hand with Dirk’s and dragging him over towards Farah. Dirk sighed but smiled.

“I guess, that’s alright.”

The sound of Beast and Vogel splashing in the water drew his attention away from the tents for a moment. He watched as Bart and Ethan headed down to the shoreline and the other Rowdies watched from the beginning of the path, sitting around the fire. It was obscenely hot out, so why they wanted to sit around a fire was beyond him. He’d heard them mention once that their rooms in Blackwing were always cold. Dirk glanced back just as Todd handed him one of the tents.

“Hey T? Do you remember Scott’s cell phone number? Nobody’s picking up at the station.” Hobbs walked around the front of the van frowning down at one of the cell phones Farah had picked up. Dirk frowned.

“Sheriff, did you say Scott? Like, Scott Boreton? That Scott?” Dirk asked. Hobbs glanced up and smiled sheepishly.

“Well, yeah, ya’ see. We went and made him our intern, he’s been doing so much better after the whole, thing with his mom, and we left him in charge. Hardly anything ever happens there ya’ know?” Todd and Farah had stopped and were looking between Tina and Hobbs.

“No, can’t say that we do.” Todd said. “Especially since the week that we were in your town, we solved a 50 year old cold case, stopped a Mage and his psycho apprentice, and also like saved an entire world.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not like that kind of thing happens all the time. Only a few aliens here ‘n there, really.” Hobbs tried.

“Didn’t Blackwing setup a permanent outpost around the Cardenas’s house?” Dirk asked, glancing over at Farah who was nodding, a look of horror on her face.

“Well, yeah, they did, but I mean, those guys are chill. Not like, Blackwing’s chill, that’s not what I meant.” Tina tried to adjust herself as a look of horror crossed over Dirk’s face. “I mean, Blackwing is terrible. But Frank, and Diane, and Victor, they’re– they’re chill man. They’re kinda stupid, but we all play poker on Fridays.”

“Hold on, you play poker with the Blackwing agents who live in your town?” Todd asked. Hobbs and Tina were exchanging slightly concerned looks between the two of them, and Dirk noticed Farah looked like she was about to have an aneurysm. He didn’t blame her.

“I mean, they hate their jobs and they let us mess around in the house sometimes.” Tina attempted to defend herself, shrugging as she brushed her hair from her face.

“You _hang out_ in the pocket dimension inside the Cardenas’s house? Isn’t that, like, immensely dangerous?” Dirk asked watching as Hobbs seemed to notice Farah for the first time. He paled a bit at her expression.

“Um, Farah, are ya’ doin’ alright, there?” Everyone glanced over as Farah opened and closed her mouth a few times. Dirk was fairly certain that she might have been broken but she eventually got words out.

“You left a _teenager_ in _charge_?! Are you insane? What happens if a real emergency happens? That’s like, so illegal. Oh my god! Why– nope. Nope. No.” She grabbed the tent out of Todd’s hands and tossed it back into the van.

“Get in the van, you’re going home. A teenager, Tina?!”

“What? But Farah, it’s fine, he’d call if–”

“We left your phones in Seattle so that Blackwing couldn’t track us! He doesn’t have your new number! Just– we will discuss why leaving a teenager in charge of a sheriff’s department is a bad idea. Get in the van. Dirk, Todd, say bye.” Farah had hopped into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

“Bye, guys.”

“Goodbye Tina. Sheriff.”

Hobbs and Tina waved goodbye as they climbed into the van. Dirk could hear them voicing their complaints as Farah drove back down the path towards the road. Whatever went on in Bergsberg nowadays must be stranger than he thought. Once they were out of sight he glanced over at Todd.

“So, is she driving them back to Montana or is she driving them to an airport? Because I am very hesitant about not having Farah around at this particular moment.” Dirk narrowed his eyes. Todd shrugged, glancing up at him.

“Unclear. I guess we’ll either see her in a couple hours, or a couple days.” Todd frowned after the van. “And don’t worry. We’ll be fine. We’ve got Amanda. And the Rowdies. And Bart, apparently.”

“All our good food was in that van.”

“Don’t you worry none about food!” Martin shouted from behind them. Dirk turned just as a box flew towards his face, he ducked to the side and the box connected with the side of Todd’s head. Dirk cringed at Todd’s groaning as Martin, Cross, and Gripps laughed at him.

“We’ve got plenty of those if you’re hungry, Pup.” Dirk glanced down, and felt his stomach turn as the familiar packaging of the watermelon pop tarts stared up at him.

“I’m okay with starving, how about you?” Dirk asked. Todd nodded in agreement and looked back down towards the lake, where Amanda had joined Beast and Vogel.

“Well, how about a swim instead?” Dirk smiled and nodded, letting Todd lead him down away from the Rowdies and towards Beast and Vogel, who were currently trying to see who could hold their breath the longest; Beast was winning much to Vogel’s dismay.

The water looked more than welcoming after so long in the hot desert sun, but Dirk wasn’t stupid. These were the only clothes he had until Farah returned, if she returned. He looked to Todd, who tilted his head at Dirk’s desperate expression. If Todd had been so upset by Dirk’s scarring, Vogel would be even more so. And besides, he didn’t want any of the Rowdies asking about it. Todd’s face lit up as he put the pieces together.

“Hey,” he said, wrapping his arms around him so that their foreheads touched. Dirk melted into the embrace, grabbing onto Todd.

“No one’s going to say anything. And if they do, I’ll throw some pop tarts at them.”

Dirk laughed, and he felt his anxiety ebb away the longer he stood there with Todd. Dirk kissed him, only gently, and couldn’t help but smile as they broke it. This was perfect. Todd was perfect. For once, there was nothing to take away from this moment.

“I think we should ban those pop tarts from here on out, what do you think?” Todd looked away, going red as he stared at Dirk’s lips in the bright sun.

“Those things? Definitely.” Todd pulled Dirk into the water, and soon they were wading ankle deep. Too bad about the pants, but he wasn’t comfortable enough to take them off with everyone else around. “But first I have to teach you how to swim. What if you get attacked and I’m not there?”

“By what? A mermaid? Merman? Merperson? Because that’s already happened Todd. It really wasn’t that bad.”

“Exactly. You never know.”

A giggle escaped Dirks lips as Todd helped him get his flannel off, promptly throwing it aside onto dry land. Dirk froze, closing his eyes as he felt eyes on the giant scar moving up the side of his torso and his arm. It had been almost two weeks and the scars had faded slightly, but were still overtly prominent. And the odd lightening marks that branched out from his heart had faded from bright red to soft pink. He heard the splashing from Vogel’s direction stop.

Todd appeared once again, and when Dirk opened his eyes, Todd’s face was inches from his own. He was brushing his cheek softly.

“Stay with me. You got this.”

“I got this.”

“You got this. I’m not letting anyone upset you.”

“Right.” Dirk walked deeper into the water until it went up to his waist, making his heart speed up not with fear but with excitement. Todd threw his own shirt next to Dirk’s before joining him.

“How do I do this, then? This whole swimming debacle. It seems rather complicated.”

Todd sighed, lowering himself into the water to wet his face. It was way too hot out. Dirk smiled, but didn’t follow his example. When Todd came back up to his full height, it was to a laughing Dirk. The water flattened Todd’s hair onto his face, making him look rather amusing. He spit out the water that had gotten into his mouth.

“You look like a grumpy hobbit, Todd.”

“Oh shut up. You always call me that.”

“Is it my fault you bare an uncanny resemblance to hobbits? Why, you’re practically related. I’ll be expecting an invite to the Baggins’ party any day now, seeing as I am your boyfriend after all, and you’re mine so–”

“What?”

Todd had stopped to stare at Dirk, and the more seconds that ticked by, the happier he seemed to look. Dirk shifted on his feet. Had he said something?

“Yes? What is it?”

“You– you just… haven’t actually called us, boyfriends, before.”

Oh.

This time it was Dirk’s turn to turn away, hiding his face as it turned into a blushing mess. It was true, he hadn’t yet called Todd his boyfriend. There just wasn’t time, what with aliens and minor gods and queens and Blackwing; everything was always too chaotic to give Dirk the time or opportunity to refer to Todd as… well, as what he was. Priest was the last person to do so. The last time he was about to refer to Todd as such, a duplicate of the queen had burst through the wall riding a three headed horse, with two extra heads of her own.  Needless to say, there hadn’t been time. It had been one of their more exciting cases.

“Well,” Dirk started slowly, “That’s what you are. You’re my, boyfriend. And I’m yours. And we… and that’s that. And I quite enjoy it, personally.”

“No, I– I do too! I love it, I just…” Todd pulled Dirk in closer. “I’m just glad to finally hear you say it.”

They stood like that for a moment, the rest of the world forgotten, even Ethan, who was currently screaming bloody murder as Bart pushed him into the lake to, play with him Dirk guessed, couldn’t mess up this moment. This moment belonged to them.

A few feet away, Beast began eyeing Dirk with a devilish grin. Vogel followed her gaze, and bit his lip as he stared at Dirk’s bite scars. Cross turned to Vogel, frowning as upset emotions began flowing out of him. Dirk shook his head, glancing back at Todd.

“Er, Todd. Aren’t you supposed to be teaching me how to swim?”

“Oh, shit, right.”

“Dirk?”

Dirk turned, and he found Vogel standing behind him. He was soaking wet, the clothes he was wearing stuck to his body. He looked nervous, wringing his hands, but thankfully he didn’t seem as upset as Dirk had expected. Dirk put on his brightest smile, and greeted the young Rowdy in ernest.

Vogel smiled softly at Dirk’s enthusiasm, nodding as he took a breath. Dirk nodded back, trying to encourage him to stay happy.

“I uh, just wanted to check up on you man. Make sure you’re not like, hurt, you know?” Dirk gave a thumbs up, not missing the way Vogel kept going over his scars. The bite marks.

“I’m great, thanks for asking! I feel just wonderful!” Dirk rocked onto his toes.

“You sure?”

“Definitely! I feel fine, Vogel.” He leaned closer to Vogel, moving to get the hair out of his eyes. It was a wonder that Vogel could even see anything right now with his hair like that. It hadn’t been cut lately; Dirk wondered to himself who usually cut it.. “I’m alright. I feel fine. I’m not hurt.”

Vogel seemed to get the message. He puffed out his chest, dissolving back into his usual energy. Before Dirk could say anything, he was met with a face full of water. Todd caught him as he fell back, coughing as Vogel slipped away back to Amanda, laughing like a maniac.

Oh, so that was the game? Dirk swung around to face Todd, a grin growing on his face.

“Todd, I’ve changed my mind. We’re not going to go swimming today, but instead start a war. Could you get Beast for me?”

At the sound of her name, Beast appeared out of the water like a fish. Dirk screamed as she popped up, but this only caused Todd more amusement. She looked up at the two of them, only her head popping out of the water.

“Bibbit need?” Her english had been steadily getting better since Wendimor; Amanda stopped letting Cross teach her english after she swore at a cop, and had taken over the job herself. It was going rather well.

“Yes, I do. I need you to help me with a very secret plan.”

“Sesrit!”

“A sesrit. Exactly. Now, here’s the plan.”

Dirk lowered down to her current height, explaining to her his plan to attack Vogel and Amanda in the water. Beast jumped up and down as he went on, excited by the idea of a new game. The movement caused water to splash in Todd’s face, making him cough as he waved it away. When Dirk finished, he paused to see if Beast understood.

Todd raised an eyebrow. So Dirk had started getting along with Beast now too, was he? It was a day of miracles. Dirk smiled up at him as Beast contemplated the plan.

“Spas wot?”

“All over them. As soon as they are distracted. Todd will help you.”

“Excuse me?” Todd raised his hands; there was no way he was getting dragged into a water war with Rowdies. Todd wasn’t suicidal, and he wasn’t going to let anyone convince him to help otherwise. Dirk mock frowned at him, causing Todd to roll his eyes.

“Dude, there is no way I’m getting involved in this.”

“Oh come on, Todd. It’ll be fun.”

“Dirk–”

Dirk put out a finger, looking up to the sky as he started to think. Todd sighed, crossing his arms as he and Beast stood there for a full minute and a half, waiting. Finally, Dirk seemed to find what he was looking for.

“You feel that, Todd? The universe is telling me that we have to do this, and you have to help.” Todd thought that his eyes would pop out of his head if he rolled them any harder. Dirk was ridiculous.

“You don’t have a hunch. I’d feel if you did.”

“You’re still helping.”

Todd looked from Beast to Dirk, and finally caved. His head rolled back in defeat.

“Alright. Fine. I’ll help.”

Dirk said something along the lines of ‘brilliant’ and ‘knew you’d come round’, and without a second thought went off of distract Amanda and Vogel. Todd was left alone with Beast; it was still an odd situation. The rainbow woman was somewhat of a wild card, and she’d tackled Todd more than once in the past two weeks. She seemed to finally be letting go of Dirk a bit, but she was determined to figure out if Todd was a suitable boyfriend for Dirk.

“Tob hep?”

Todd nodded, sinking down into the water next to her. He saw Martin in an animated conversation with Gripps and Cross. Cross seemed to be distracted keeping an eye on Vogel though, and he made eye contact with Todd as his eyes swept across the lake. He gave a thumbs up to Todd, smiling.

Damn it. They knew what was about to happen. Damn werewolves.

A few feet away, Dirk had greeted Amanda and Vogel with a suspicious cheerfulness.

“Amanda! Vogel! My _favorite_ Rowdies! Great to see you!”

“We just saw you like, ten minute ago man. From the van. What’s up?” Amanda waved at him, holding a thin stick out to Vogel in a mock battle stance. She straightened up to talk to Dirk, and Vogel followed suit.

“Oh you know! Stuff, and– and things. Many things! You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve seen!”

“Didja see another alien, man?!?!” Vogel was bouncing with excitement, seeming happy for a chance to include Dirk in whatever he was doing with Amanda. Dirk shook his head, laughing nervously. He hadn’t actually thought his plan through this far. He decided to do what he did best: talk.

Behind them, Todd and Beast were sneaking through the water, poised for the attack. Dirk tried to avoid looking at them; if he looked, Amanda and Vogel would too. Vogel sniffed through the air before nearly jumping out of his skin in joy.

“You’re all amped up, man! What’s going down!” Dirk shrugged, feeling the gaze of the land Rowdies on his back. He had to think of something to say.

What about a case?

“Well, I needed to tell you! That! About this one case! There were these aliens who _really_ liked the Queen. Queen of England, mind you. And they were dying to get ahold of the thrown so naturally they decided to ambush her and _lock her in a space freezer_! But that’s where it gets interesting and very very wrong because they made a duplicate of her only it wasn’t very convincing! Way more than the normal amount of heads! She was riding a horse! There was also this man in a funny scarf and a very annoying box but I don’t think he was that important–”

Amanda and Vogel gawked, trying – and failing – to keep up as Dirk began to ramble. Every time they tried to get a word in, he would talk even faster, until it was impossible to keep up. Even Todd, who was about to attack them, stopped to stare for a moment.

The moment broke when the two younger Rowdies were drenched in an unholy amount of water.

There was a cry of mock frustration from both Vogel and Amanda as they processed what had happened, and Dirk found himself with a faceful of water as the two groups began to exchange fire. A laugh rose up from his throat; even Todd looked like he was having an okay time. Amanda let out a battle cry, and Vogel copied her.

Beast leapt forward, grabbing hold of Vogel and spinning him to the ground and under the splashing water. Vogel kicked out, just barely missing Dirk who had taken a few hasty steps backward. Beast popped back up out of the water with a flurry while Vogel struggled up.

“Not fair!” He shouted, spinning and bringing his hand back before sending water splashing towards Beast. But he had spun closer to Dirk than he had anticipated.

Dirk tried to backup further and felt his foot slip out from underneath him. He was down faster than anyone could notice and quickly found himself underwater. His head banged against one of the flat rocks he had slipped on, sending pain through his skull. He sat up, but not in time to avoid inhaling a mouthful of water. He coughed out water and what tasted like mud as the others continued to battle it out further into the lake. He noticed that Amanda currently had Todd in a headlock, which probably explained the lack of concern or panicked hovering at Dirk’s minor head injury.

Dirk groaned, rubbing his head. The water was in a disturbed state around him as Amanda and Vogel sparred with Beast and Todd, and it splashed in his face. He spit out the little bit that got into his mouth, spitting the mud as well. It tasted worse than the poptarts.

Great. He’d already gotten himself hurt.

“‘Ay Dirk, you good?” Cross called over from his place with Gripps and Martin, a few feet away from the water where they wouldn’t get splashed. Dirk nodded, not looking over; his head was spinning slightly from the fall. It wasn’t as bad as other injuries he’d sustained the past few weeks though, so hopefully it would blow over in a few minutes.

“Yes, I’m alright. I don’t actually think it’s possible for me to get a concussion anymore. Not for long, anyway.”

“Don’t mean you shouldn’t be careful. Here.” Martin stood, wading into the water where Dirk was sitting. He put his hand out, waiting for him to take it. Dirk still wasn’t used to being on such good terms with the Rowdies; and in fact he hadn’t yet actually asked why they had suddenly begun to include him in the things they did. Their circle of hospitality was usually very limited. Still, Dirk was going to fall over if he tried to get up on his own, so he took Martin’s hand anyway. As the tallest Rowdy helped him stand, he saw Beast get on Todd’s shoulders out of the corner of his eye.

“Don’t fall now. Can’t have you passin’ out. Pup’ll have a fit.”

“I won’t fall, I’m just–” Dirk stumbled to the side; he was feeling dizzy. Martin sighed as he caught him, pulling him promptly to dry land.

“Right. Sittin’ time for you.”

“I’m not a child…”

Dirk frowned as Martin helped him over to where the others were sitting, the experience made all the more surreal by the fact that Vogel was yelling a battle cry with Amanda in the background. Gripps flashed a rowdy grin at him as he fell onto the ground. So much for sitting softly.

Dirk let out a childish sound of discontent as he stared at the sky from the ground. Of course he’d fallen. Naturally.

“No ‘fence meant but how are you still alive, Brit?”

“Yeah! Always fallin’ down!”

Dirk turned his head to glare at Cross, who was staring down at him and failing to contain his laughter in a spectacular manner. He resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at him; there was no way he would ever hear the end of that one.

“Luck and coincidence. And Farah, occasionally.” Dirk answered their question with a grump air, pushing himself up into a sitting position. Already, his head was clearing up; it hadn’t been that bad after all.

Vogel tackled Todd out in the lake, earning cheers from Beast and Amanda. Todd however didn’t seem to be as happy about it. He yelped as he was thrown backwards into the water.

“Farah. She’s cool.”

“Could kick Martin’s ass.”

“Totally.”

“She could kick anyone’s arse, Gripps,” Dirk said, “She’s Farah.”

Martin shrugged, sitting next to Dirk and putting his arm out as Dirk nearly fell backwards again. With his other hand, he swiped Gripps’ drink. Upon sniffing it, he screwed up his face and threw it back to the other Rowdy, who caught it with a smile.

“Gotta stop drinking this stuff.”

“Syrup’s good. Leave me be.”

“Syrup?!” Dirk’s eyes went wide, and he couldn’t stop himself from gawking as Gripps took a long sip from the bottle he had been drinking from. Now that he actually knew what to look for, Dirk could definitely smell the sickly sweet scent from the cup. His stomach flipped.

“Are you drinking _actual maple syrup_?!” Gripps nodded, holding out the bottle as if he was toasting something. Dirk wanted to gag; this was worse than the watermelon poptarts. Which actually, Gripps seemed to be having some poptarts along with his drink.

Actually, now that he thinks about it, Dirk can’t remember ever seeing Gripps eat anything but those poptarts, nor had he seen him drink anything but the contents of the bottle. Did werewolves not get cavities? It was plausible, if Gripps was any indicator.

Martin eyed the way Dirk was swaying; he still looked rather faint from his fall. Without any adrenaline from an attack, Dirk was far more susceptible to fainting until the damage to his head had been repaired by his body. Martin wanted to say that Dirk’s new werewolf status would keep him from dying, but honestly that logic was flimsy at best. Dirk was a magnet for trouble.

Every pack member was more clumsy than the last, he supposed.

“Gripps, while the thought of you actually drinking that makes me gag, it does explain why you seem to love watermelon poptarts. Both are simply horrendous, but I suppose they must cancel each other out.”

“Only got good shit in Spooky Wolf Club.”

“Better learn to enjoy it, Brit.” Martin patted Dirk on the back a bit too hard. “Pack members get first pick on poptarts.”

“I’d rather not have any, thank you. I’m quite okay with starving.” All three Rowdies shrugged.

Out in the lake, the teams had somehow reversed. Beast and Vogel had turned on Amanda and Todd, and the two siblings were ducking behind each other to get out of the way of the water attacks. There was a lot of profanity being shouted, but even a stranger could tell that is was all in good fun. Dirk nearly let out a groan when he realized that Bart – and Ethan – had wandered off while no one was looking. The only indication of where they’d gone was a pair of wet footprints leading into the distance.

Oh well, they’d probably be back. Bart seemed to have decided to stick around, and as terrifying as that thought was, they were pretty stubborn. At least he knew they wouldn’t pop up and try to kill them.

Dirk sighed, blinking as his vision finally cleared up.

“Thank you though. You three. For not trying to scare me anymore. It’s rather nice of you.” Martin nodded, acknowledging Dirk as he reached for one of Gripps’ poptarts.

“Take care of our own. Don’t forget it.”

“You’re pack now!”

“Thanks to Vogel.”

“And Pup!”

Dirk couldn’t help smiling. Their chaos wasn’t really his taste; at least, it wasn’t his preferred type of chaos at any rate. But they were nice to be around when they weren’t terrifying him. Not that they weren’t still terrifying, but they’d become scary in a friendly way instead of a run away type of way. Dirk nodded, glancing behind Martin to where Todd and Amanda had fallen laughing.

“Martin?” Dirk glanced over, the eldest Rowdy watching the chaos out in the lake. He glanced down and raised an eyebrow.

“I was hoping to ask you, a little bit more about this whole, bond thing. Todd explained it back on the morning after the full moon, but I just, wanted to know if maybe you knew a little more.” Martin smiled and nodded.

“Sure thing, Brit. What’d ya’ want to know?” Cross and Gripps were smiling conspiratorially and trying not to laugh as Dirk tried to order his thoughts.

“Well I guess, the amount of information, I suppose you would say, that gets passed back and forth. Is there a limit? Such as, is there things that wouldn’t be able to get passed along?” Dirk hadn’t really talked to Todd about how much he had felt while Dirk had been in Blackwing. He knew he could feel him, and the pain, but maybe it hadn’t been all of the pain, maybe it had just been the idea of pain.

“Depends. You and Pup have a strong bond. I wouldn’t be surprised if there wasn’t much that went unnoticed.” Martin said. His features had softened, more than likely realizing why Dirk was asking about the strength of the connection.

“Oh, I see. I think. And the strength of the bond, where does that come from?”

“From you two. The closer you two are, the stronger the bond. It’s your souls merging together. Makes some mighty powerful voodoo.” Martin answered, glancing up as Vogel let out a shout of protest. Amanda had managed to flip him into the water.

“Souls merging?”

“Didn't Pup explain this already?” Martin glanced down, raising his eyebrows and giving a soft smirk.

“No, no, he did, it’s just, he hadn’t mentioned that bit. Or perhaps he hadn’t realized.” Dirk looked back out towards Todd. Merged souls, that was quite something. He wondered if Todd really understood that bit and figured if he did he had just failed to explain it properly. Todd turned, glancing at Dirk. Concern blossomed in Dirk’s chest but he waved his hand and smiled. Todd nodded just as Beast tackled him under the water.

“Was it bad? While I, we were, away?” Dirk asked without turning to look at Martin.

“He’s strong. Don’t matter what happened, he decided to be strong and overcome the pain. For you.” Martin matched Dirk’s quiet tone. Cross and Gripps had fallen silent as well.

“What about–”

“Dirk.” Dirk turned to look up at Martin. “He made it through. It was hard and there was a point when I was worried he wouldn’t, but he did. For you. That’s all that matters.”

Dirk nodded. He wasn’t sure what he had hoped Martin would have said. Perhaps that Todd hadn’t been in the unspeakable pain he had been in but something told Dirk that he had. Dirk sighed as Martin continued.

“I was surprised he didn’t shift though. That rage he was feelin’ should have brought out the wolf.” Dirk glanced over.

“Wait, bitten werewolves can shift outside of the full moon?”

“They can. It’s rare, but if a bond is in immediate danger, say one of ‘ya is injured and still in danger, it’s possible. If you can access the right amount of anger. For us, we can shift whenever, it’s the perk of being born like this. But you lot, it’s about how much rage does it take to push you over the edge.”

“But…” Dirk trailed off, staring past Cross and Gripps and into the distance. “There’s nothing he could have done. I was– I wasn’t, actually there. I was miles away. Would it have even helped if he had?”

Martin shrugged.

“Probably not. Ain’t saying ‘m not still surprised though. Boy was ready to kill every damn agent he saw.”

Dirk swallowed, trying to focus his eyes back in the moment. Todd could feel everything, which meant he’d felt what happened with Priest. He’d felt it when he _died._

Why wouldn’t Todd tell him the extent of it?

“Well this is just… great.” Dirk threw up his hands in exasperation, ignoring the fact that Martin was still holding him to keep him from falling. “This is– this is brilliant. Clever me, always in trouble. Always _hurt._ And now Todd is going to be hurt too. One of these days I need to file a complaint with the universe–”

“No worryin’ worth, Brit. Ain’t worth it.” Cross nodded at him. “Pup’s strong.”

Dirk sighed, putting his hands back onto the ground to support himself. Martin seemed relieved to have the responsibility of keeping Dirk upright taken from him. Dirk wasn’t able to brood for long though; in the background, Amanda quite literally launched Beast onto Vogel with a rowdy cry. Todd seemed to have nearly decided to surrender. Dirk felt a smile creep onto his lips.

“Does Farah know any of this? She mentioned that she talked to you, a long time ago. Before… you know.”

“Girl knows a bit, yeah.” Martin threw a piece of cloth into the fire. “Pretty smart. Says she keeps you alive most days.”

“Oh Farah? Definitely. We’d be just lost without her.” Dirk’s stomach growled, and he grimaced as he realized he still hadn’t had a proper thing to eat all day. Martin looked over for a second, his face contemplating something. Finally, he gave in.

Martin got to his feet to help Dirk up, who swayed a bit but stayed upright without help.

“Got some junk in that blue box up on the van. Don’t take too much.”

“Wait, really?” Martin was already pushing Dirk towards the van. He stumbled past the other two Rowdies, who nodded to him as they passed. As he turned back to look at them, he nearly jumped out of his skin as something was thrown at him.

As he caught his shirt, Martin was already sitting back down. Dirk sighed at his reflection in the happy little pin clipped to the front of his shirt. He looked like a wreck. How could anyone stand being around him when his hair looked like a wet bird’s nest?

He threw the shirt on over his head and walked up towards the van. Finding the box only took a moment and he braced himself for what he was sure was going to be more poptarts. What he found, was not the watermelon monstrosities.

The box contained several different kinds of jerky, several bags of flavored kettle corn, a couple different drink options, and a few protein bars hidden at the bottom. Dirk almost cried when he realized he wasn’t going to have to suffer through more pop tarts. His heart called to the kettle corn but he snagged a pack of jerky, a bar, and a bottle of sports drink instead; he could always come back to the kettle corn.

There weren’t tall, towering trees like in Seattle but there was a small bunch of them down near the water and the shade looked far too good to pass up. He wandered down and found a flat rock to sit on. He laid out his snacks and carefully started in on the jerky.

“Hey you,” Dirk jumped, almost losing the bag in the process. Todd had appeared next to the rock, a smile creeping across his face.

“We have got to work on your perception skills. I was upwind and everything.”

“So what, just because I have super-hearing and a super sense of smell I’m not supposed to be surprised by anything anymore?”

“I mean, ideally, yes.” Todd laughed, taking a seat next to Dirk on the rock.

“But you can get lost in your own head pretty easily, so I’ll let you off the hook, just this once.” Todd snatched the bag of jerky and stole a couple before handing it back.

“You doing okay though? That fall felt– looked like it hurt.” Dirk hadn’t been too lost in his head to miss that.

“It was fine, just a little dizzy is all.” Dirk answered. The concern returned to his chest and he gave Todd a sideways glance.

“I’m okay. Truly. Just a little low on nutrients. You know, calories, sugars, salts.” Dirk smiled until the concern ebbed.

“I just want to make sure. Can’t have you passing out on me.”

“Will you have a fit?” Dirk asked, raising his eyebrows and laughing lightly. He watched Todd’s face go red and the concern switch to embarrassment.

“Rowdies tell you that? Cause it is not true at a–”

“No, hey. It’s fine! I thinks it’s sweet!” Dirk leaned in closer, brushing his shoulder against Todd’s.

“I just want to make sure you’re okay.” Todd said, bumping against Dirk’s shoulder.

“I am. And it’s all thanks to you and your...puppy guarding.” Dirk couldn’t hide the smile at that point. Todd groaned and shoved him away slightly.

“Screw you! I’m allowed to be worried!”

“You are, you are, absolutely right. But I also reserve the right to make endless fun of you for it.” Dirk leaned back in, looping his arm into Todd’s and holding him in place. He didn’t want him trying to run away for the next part.

“And since we’re on the topic of worrying, I just wanted to apologize. Properly. For all of the, the pain and panic–”

“Dirk, no, you don’t have to apologize for–”

“I know. I’m not apologizing for– for Him. I’m just, I’m just sad that you had to feel it too. There was a part of me that thought, that I would be able to make it through because, because they couldn’t hurt you. But that wasn’t true, they could, and they did, and– and that’s what I’m sorry about. That you had to suffer twice. Losing me and then the pain. And–”

“Dirk, it’s–”

“Hold on, I’m, I’m almost done, and then you can tell me that I’m being silly. I promise. But, I’m just, I’m sorry I left.” Todd frowned.

“Left? For the doughnuts? Dirk, that was a hunch, you–” Dirk shook his head, turning slightly to face Todd and grabbing onto his hand. He wanted to try to anchor himself, to this moment, to reality, to Todd.

“No, that’s not, not what I meant. I mean, I’m sorry that I left when– when I was at Blackwing. I can’t even begin to imagine how it felt for you. It was, it was peaceful, for me, and I know it wasn’t for you. But do you know what my favorite thing about that whole, me dying incident, was?” Dirk looked up and saw pain etched across Todd’s face. An odd smile pulled at his lips.

“There was a favorite part to your death?”

“There was. When I woke up, in the medical ward, however many hours later. How many hours was it? Was it– not important. When I woke up, I couldn’t even be upset that I was still trapped there, do you know why?” Dirk met Todd’s eyes, he had gone silent, watching Dirk with a slightly confused look.

“When I woke up, I could feel you. And you were so excited, and I just thought, that even if I’m trapped, and I never saw you again, I would be able to feel you, and you were so excited and happy. And I was happy. Not about being there, but that you were, wherever you were, you were happy and you were safe. I mean, that illusion was shattered slightly when you came to rescue us, which, also, loved that bit, very big fan. But, I would have been okay. I would have kept going, if I could always feel you being that happy.” Todd was smiling at him, the warmth in his chest conveying something much stronger than happiness.

“What was it?” Dirk asked.

“What was what?”

“The thing, that made you that happy? What was it?” Todd laughed, rolling his eyes and looking back at Dirk.

“It was you, Dirk. You were okay, I could feel you again. And all the pain and and the anger, it didn’t matter anymore, because you were there, and I was going to see you again. And I, I was never going to let you go again.” Todd smiled, giving Dirk’s hands another squeeze.

Dirk wasn’t sure what he had expected, but certainly not that. He smiled back and scooted closer, leaning his head down onto Todd’s shoulder.

“Well, I’m glad I could make you that happy. I guess I’ll just have to go die and come back to life again.” Todd laughed nervously.

“I know you’re joking, but please, please don’t do that.” Todd said, his voice cracking slightly as he wrapped his arm around Dirk’s shoulders, pulling him in closer. Dirk laughed.

“I won’t. Or, at the very least, I will try my very best not to.” Dirk didn’t need to see the eyeroll to feel it. He reached forward and grabbed the bag of jerky, offering Todd a few more pieces.

“On a lighter note, did you realize that our souls have actually merged into one super magical soul?” Dirk asked, snooping through the bag trying to find a decent sized piece. Todd pushed him into a sitting position a look of surprise on his face. Apparently Martin had _not_ explained this bit.

“Wait, our souls did what now?”

“Well come on Todd. I mean really it makes sense. I _can_ literally feel your emotions, which isn’t really very normal I’ll have you know–” Dirk trailed off, noting the way Todd looked like he was about to have a stroke. Not an actual stroke, but he was definitely about to have a metaphorical stroke of some sort.

“Our… our souls?”

“Yes, our souls Todd. Weren’t you listening? I quite cleary said ‘our souls’. I could say it in Romanian if you want but, fair warning, I don’t remember much of it.” Dirk glanced at Todd hopefully; maybe his ramblings could bring Todd back to reality. “I could go get Martin. He’d probably explain it again if you made him.”

“No!”

Todd had grabbed onto Dirk’s arm, making him flinch at both the loud noise and the sudden contact. This made Todd freeze, letting go of his arm as he felt the stab of panic surge through Dirk’s chest. He moved his hands back slowly, barely daring to breathe as he watched Dirk quickly return to normal.

Dirk nodded, reaching out to take Todd’s hand in his. His heart was still pounding. He hadn’t meant to react like that, of course not, but the way he had yelled and grabbed Dirk’s wrist… for a moment, all he could see was Priest. Dirk brought Todd’s hand up to his mouth and rested his lips on it for a moment.

“Dirk, I–”

“It’s alright Todd. You didn’t mean to.”

“Do you feel this? This.” Dirk gripped Todd’s hand even tighter, pulling him in closer. “This is more than just the two of us. You can _feel_ my hunches, Todd. And I can feel all of your pain. Whatever this bond is, it’s connected us somehow. Everything is connected. This is just another one of those things.”

A smile crept into Todd’s expression as he stared at Dirk’s lips for a brief moment.

“Do you know something, Todd?”

“Yeah?” Dirk gave a weak smile, prompting confusion out of the shorter man.

“Did it.”

Todd shook his head, leaning into Dirk to wrap him in his arms. Dirk hugged him back, and for what was probably the hundredth time in the past few weeks, they stayed wrapped in each other’s embrace.

* * *

_**4 Weeks after Blackwing, September, A few days before the Full Moon** _

**Aren’t you a little short to be a werewolf?**

Week four of their extended roadtrip found them camping out deep in the Northern California wilderness just below Crescent City. Dirk had hopped from the vans on the first day and had spun in a circle frowning at the woods.

“Have we been here before?” he asked, glancing over at Todd who had been stretching the soreness from his limbs.

“No, Dirk. Unless you’ve come on your own to the Redwoods, than no, we haven’t been here before.” Dirk was still frowning.

“I swear I’ve been here before. When I was little? But, it’s missing something. But that doesn’t make sense, I never left Blackwing when I got to America, so, how–” he frowned towards some bushes off to the side of their campsite. Dirk’s face lit up and Todd felt the excitement in his chest.

“Oh! Aren’t you a little short!?”

“Hey!”

“No, not you, Todd, you’re perfect. No, the– the thing, with the guns, and the fuzzy people, and the dashing smuggler. The film! Star Wars!” Dirk was bouncing around Todd at that point, looking around the woods with a large smile on his face.

“Star Wars?”

“Yes, Todd! You know, the one with the Jedi and the magic and the little green man. Have you never seen Star Wars?” Dirk stopped in front of him, a concerned look on his face. Todd laughed and shook his head.

“No, I’ve seen Star Wars, it’s just I don’t think I understand what you’re talking about.” he was looking around the woods trying to see what Dirk was seeing but was missing it. Amanda hopped from the Rowdies’ van and smirked over at him.

“Really? Todd ‘I want to be a Jedi’ Brotzman can’t even recognize the forest moon of Endor when he’s standing in it?” Amanda asked jokingly. Todd glanced around once more and then saw it; the thin, red trees, the huge ferns.

“Oh, whoa.” Todd said, glancing around and smiling.

“And here I thought you were a nerd? They filmed Episode 6 here, it’s like, a spot for geeks to flock to.” Amanda said, leaning up against the van and smiling as Dirk continued to hop in tight circles.

“Hey, I– I’m plenty nerd. I see it now.” Amanda raised an eyebrow and continued to smirk. “Ya know what? We’re gonna just go over here.” Todd grabbed hold of Dirk’s wrist and dragged him off around the vans.

“Have fun making out!” came Amanda’s reply.

They had indeed had quite a pleasant time making out behind the vans while the others worked on setting up camp. Martin had selected the area because of the seclusion it offered. The full moon was the next day and everyone was a bit nervous, none more nervous than Todd.

He had known this was coming. It wasn’t like time would just stop moving forward and they wouldn’t experience another full moon, but this time was different. This time Dirk would be shifting as well. And much to Todd’s concern, Dirk didn’t seem overly worried about it.

“Honestly, Todd. I think you may be making far to many mountains out of mole hills.” Dirk said around his sandwich. Todd glared over at him and then to Martin who was trying not to laugh.

“Dirk, it’s, it’s a big deal. This is your first real shift, it can be alot.” Todd did not understand why no one else was as concerned as he was. They only had a couple hours and everyone seemed rather laid back. Vogel appeared from inside the Rowdy’s van and hopped over to sit near Dirk.

“Pup trying to scare you about the moon again?” Vogel asked bumping up against Dirk’s side. Dirk nodded as he finished off the sandwich and brushed the crumbs from his lap.

“Todd seems to think I won’t be able to handle the shift. Doesn’t think I’m tough enough.” Dirk said smirking over at Todd. Vogel rolled his eyes and glared over at Todd.

“Dirk is plenty tough! You’ll see!”

“Thank you, Vogel.”

“I just think we should be careful, is all.” Todd said, trying to bring the conversation back. “We’re in a new place, and there’s people, and–”

“Todd, relax. It’s silly to worry over things we can’t change. Moonrise is in a couple hours. Martin said he would be more than happy to wait to see how everything goes, and worse comes to worse Farah has a tranquilizer gun. We’ll be fine.” Dirk reached over and grabbed onto Todd’s hand, trying to help reassure him. Todd took a deep breath and felt the heat of Dirk’s palm on his.

Todd had not failed to notice that Dirk had removed his jacket before he sat down to eat and was looking a little red around the ears.

“I just– I’m just worried.” Dirk scooted closer, leaning into Todd’s space.

“And that’s very sweet darling, but your panic is not helping me relax.” Todd hadn’t thought about that. He took a deep breath and tried to push his panic down. It was fine. Everything would be fine. Dirk wasn’t alone, and everyone was there to help. Even Bart and Ethan who were, well Todd wasn’t sure where Bart had dragged Ethan off to, but they had said they would be back in time for moonrise.

“I’m sorry. It’ll be fine. I’ll– I’ll relax.” Dirk smiled at him and rested his head on Todd’s shoulder.

“That would be much appreciated, thank you, darling.”

“Todd still panicking?” Amanda asked as she and Farah walked around the vans and joined the group around the fire. Todd tried for a ‘no’ but was drowned out by a sea of yes’s. Todd groaned and glared over at Amanda.

“I’m trying to relax.”

“That’ll be the day. But seriously, you’ve got nothing to worry about, it’ll be just like last month, except, less depressing.” She smiled over at Todd who took another deep breath. Dirk scooted in closer and tightened his grip on Todd’s hand, pushing calming emotions his way.

“No, I know, I just– it’ll be fine. You guys are right. I’m worrying over nothing.” Todd said looking down at Dirk’s hand.

“Well that’s not new, but yeah, everything will be fine.” Amanda said, laughing over at Martin who was no longer trying to hide his smile.

Todd held tightly to Dirk as the minutes ticked by. Bart and Ethan returned from their adventures in the woods with about thirty minutes to spare and everyone was getting ready. Amanda was the most excited, she loved spending the moons with the Rowdies and it had been far too long since she had. Dirk and Todd hadn’t moved and Dirk was starting to get twitchy. Todd had been giving him water, trying to help with the heat radiating off him but even the water had stopped working.

“You never mentioned how hot it would get,” Dirk mumbled into Todd’s shoulder. Todd gave his hand a squeeze.

“The first time is hardest, it gets, well it doesn’t really get better but it’s easier. You gonna be okay?” Dirk nodded as he glanced over at Vogel who was curled up next Cross and Gripps. Martin had taken up a spot on top of the van next to Beast and Amanda and Farah were sitting just inside the door of the van.

“It’ll be okay, right?” Dirk asked. Todd glanced down and worry built in his chest. His stupid fears had rubbed off on Dirk.

“Hey, no, hey, look at me.” Dirk sat up slowly, his face bright red and beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

“You are going to be fine. Completely, and totally fine. Just like you’ve been saying. We’re not alone, we’re together. Nothing is going to happen.” Dirk closed his eyes and leaned into Todd as a shudder raked through his body.

“Okay, it’s just– it doesn’t really feel fine. And, as mentioned, everything is rather hot.” Dirk’s breathing was ragged as another shudder ran up his spine. Todd wrapped his arms around him tight, holding him together.

“I’m here, I’m not going anywhere, and I’ll be here when you open your eyes okay? I’m not going anywhere.” Todd felt the familiar pain start to form in his joints. Dirk let out a cry and gripped tightly to Todd’s shirt.

“It hurts.” Dirk whimpered. Todd closed his eyes against the pain.

“I know, but not for long.” Todd heard Dirk cry out once more before everything went dark.

* * *

**Real life applications of ‘Get Help’ from Thor: Ragnarok**

“And we’re waiting in the van because…?”

Amanda looked up at Farah, rolling her eyes. Todd had been the only one to shift around her during the last moon, and therefore couldn’t figure out why Amanda had pulled her into the van five minutes before moonrise. She laughed.

“The boys don’t have a lot of clothes,” Amanda explained. “They like to get out of as much of it as they possibly can before they shift. It helps with expenses.”

Farah went silent, and looked away in embarrassment.

“Oh.” Amanda patted her shoulder, leaning back against the seat. Beast was still outside, and they would be in the clear to come out as soon as she came around to get them. Amanda was shaking with excitement; it had been months since she’d spent a proper moon with her boys. Outside, they heard Dirk groan. Amanda looked up.

“Moon must be coming up.”

Farah bit her lip as they listened. The cries of Dirk’s pain started to change, and one by one the cries were replaced with howls. Amanda grinned at Farah.

“Hope Dirk has a spare change of clothes.”

There was a scratching noise on the door, followed by a loud banging. Laughter filled the van as Amanda pulled the door open, and Beast joined in as she heard it. Outside, the massive shapes of wolves could be seen. The biggest one stopped, and Martin’s head swung to stare at Amanda and Farah inside the van. This earned a grin from Amanda as Beast helped her out.

“Bibbit woof!”

“Yeah he is! Which one is him?”

Amanda followed Beast’s gaze to the front of the van, where a frail auburn wolf was trying to get to its feet. It was struggling to stay up on all fours, which cemented it into Amanda’s mind that it was Dirk. It’s been said before that switching from two legs to four can be rather disorienting, especially the first time around. The wolf whimpered as it fell back down, and the darker wolf standing next to it nudged it. Todd.

Farah was still in the van, counting all the wolves to make sure they were all accounted for. Cross and Gripps were already wrestling, and Amanda made a note to join in later. Vogel was nowhere to be found, but if the others weren’t freaking out, then he was probably somewhere nearby. She’d thought he would have wanted to spend the whole moon with the boys.

Martin on the other hand had settled down next to a tree, and was watching Dirk and Todd as they attempted to get Dirk to his feet.

“Wow. This is… sort of cool.” Farah finally jumped out, and nearly knocked Amanda over in the process. The scene around them was alive with electricity. Amanda glanced at her.

“I’m gonna go help Dirk before I have some fun. Don’t die?”

“I won’t. I’m going to go hang out with Bart and Ethan.”

“That’s more dangerous than werewolves.”

Farah flashed a grin, and Amanda responded with her middle finger as she walked over to where Bart and Ethan were. Ethan looked terrified as usual, but more resigned to it than he had previously. Good for him. Dirk whimpered again, and she heard Todd respond with a snort.

And she thought normal boys were difficult.

Dirk and Todd looked over to her as she approached, and she slowed her pace. Making brief eye contact with Todd, she crouched down. Dirk hadn’t managed to get to his feet, and was beginning to look frustrated.

“Hey. Hey Dirk. You okay?” Amanda was speaking softly, trying not to startle him. Dirk exhaled loudly, and Amanda took that as an invitation to move forward. She felt Dirk freeze as she touched his head, but he relaxed as soon as she started petting him. He shuffled closer.

“See? It isn’t that scary.”

Todd nudged Amanda, and she looked up to see that he had come up next to her. Todd gestured to Dirk, and she laughed again.

“Alright Dirk. You wanna get up?”

Amanda pushed herself to her feet, and went around to his side. Wrapping her arms around him, she met his gaze.

“You ready to do this?”

Dirk gazed at her, and Amanda grunted as she helped pull him up. This time, he didn’t fall back down, and Amanda let out a victory cry.

“Yeah! Nice one–”

All the breath left Amanda as she was knocked to the ground, and she looked up to see a small tan wolf staring down at her. A giggle escaped her as she rolled out from under him, dodging his grasp.

“Not fair, man!”

Vogel crouched, barking at her as she crossed her arms.

“No way man. Martin’s calling this one.”

Martin glanced over as Amanda said his name. Amanda went to stick out her tongue at him, but promptly found herself preoccupied.

Vogel had tackled Amanda to the ground again and was laying carefully on top of her when they heard the yelp. Amanda tilted her head back and saw that Ethan, Bart, and Farah had come walking back around the van to get closer to the fire. Dirk had raced over, more than likely to see Farah, but his balance still wasn’t great and he tripped rolling over himself and into Bart. Ethan leapt back in surprise while Bart fell on top of Dirk.

“Hey!” Bart shouted shoving Dirk backward. Todd had followed quickly behind and was sniffing at Dirk as he pushed himself to his feet. Dirk ignored Todd and tried to help Bart to their feet.

“I gots it fluff ball.” they said, lightly pushing at Dirk. He moved back and gave a yip, staring Bart down as they got their feet under them. Amanda pushed Vogel off of her and scooted into a crouch. Vogel and the other Rowdies were now watching as well. Farah had grabbed hold of Ethan and were backing up toward Todd who was trying to decide if he needed to intervene.

“What? Yous thinks just cause yous a wolf now, you’re tougher than me, Dirk?” Bart asked, straightening up and moving forward slightly. Amanda watched as Dirk went to take a step back and then stopped, cocking his head a little to the side. He lowered himself down and gave a bark, not looking away from Bart. Amanda glanced over at Vogel who had started hopping from paw to paw.

“Dirk, maybe you should–” Farah never got to finish her sentence. Dirk launched himself at Bart, just missing them but putting them off balance enough that they fell to the ground. He spun watching as they pushed themselves back to their feet.

“That’s it! Get over here Gently!” Bart raced at Dirk who lost his footing as he tried to run away. Bart caught him around his middle and easily flipped him to the ground.

Amanda heard Todd growl and watched as he started forward but was stopped by a surprising sound.

Bart was laughing.

Everyone turned to watch as Dirk struggled free and turned back on Bart who had pushed up into a crouch and was ready for when Dirk launched himself again. They grabbed hold of his middle and both tumbled to the ground again, Bart letting out another series of strangled laughs. Dirk got his feet under him, and flopped down on top of Bart who immediately started pushing at him.

“Ethan! Come get him off me!” Amanda looked back at Ethan who was still standing next to Farah and Todd. Ethan glanced down at Todd who snorted up at him.

“I think you’ve got it Bart. Like you said, he’s probably not tougher than you.” Amanda laughed and glanced back over to Dirk and Bart. Bart was struggling to push him off and Dirk appeared to be playing dead. Amanda poked Vogel in the shoulder and pointed.

“Dogpile?” she asked. He barked and charged over to Bart and Dirk landing on top of both of them. Dirk let out a yelp while Bart shouted in protest.

“No! Off!” Bart shouted, shoving at Dirk who was now stuck under Vogel. Amanda glanced over to Ethan and Farah who were trying their hardest not to laugh. Todd also seemed fairly amused as he moved forward giving a soft bark and drawing Vogel’s attention. Vogel snorted and stood, hopping back to Amanda as Dirk moved away from Bart and towards Todd.

Bart sat up, shaking the dirt from their hair and giving an almost amused glare towards Dirk.

“I’ll get yous back for that Dirk.” Dirk looked back and snorted before following Todd back towards Farah. Ethan smiled at Bart as she walked back to him.

“That looked fun.” he said. Bart shrugged.

“Yeah, it wasn’t bad.” they said. Amanda laughed and looked over at Vogel who wasn’t paying attention to her. She pushed her weight into him and they both fell to the ground.

“Gotcha!” she shouted as he squirmed underneath her. She made a quiet shushing sound, and the small wolf stopped struggling as Amanda gestured over to Martin. He was still by his tree, and his eyes swept the group in the same mechanical pattern. He was guarding them. Amanda flashed a wicked grin, and rolled over next to Vogel.

“What do you think, huh? Wanna help him have some fun?”

If the moon had happened a few weeks earlier, Amanda wouldn’t have bothered to interrupt Martin at all. He was trying to protect everyone; everyone except Bart that is, who could kill them all in five minutes if the universe told them to. But it’d been four weeks since the breakout. They were safe, and it was time for Martin to have a little fun. Amanda pulled herself into a crouch, helped along by Vogel.

How were they supposed to do this? Martin would be able to take on the both of them easily, and it was impossible to sneak up on him. His hearing and sense of smell was even stronger in this state. Perhaps they could have asked Gripps or Cross for help, but they were currently trying to climb a tree. They were also failing at this miserably. That would hurt in the morning.

Over by the van, Dirk was barking at Beast, who had climbed onto her area on the roof. Dirk hadn’t the faintest idea how to jump onto the hood apparently, because he was stood at the side door trying to reach her. He wasn’t that much bigger than Todd, so it was almost hilarious.

Beast seemed to really like Dirk’s new playfulness.

Amanda tapped Vogel on the shoulder, and crawled over to where Dirk was standing. He didn’t even notice her approach, and finally jumped to his full extent as Amanda said ‘hi’. It was at least two full minutes before she could catch her breath from laughing, and Todd’s glare could be felt from his place with Farah by the fire.

“Dirk man! We need your help with something!” The auburn wolf glanced at Vogel for a second before turning his eyes back onto Amanda.

Amanda pointed to Martin, who now had turned his attention onto Ethan and Bart. Bart was trying to give Ethan a stick man they’d made, and Ethan was doing his best to be polite. He didn’t seem to hate the gift so much as the implications of it. Dirk tilted his head.

“You’re a pretty distracting guy, Dirk. Think you can distract Martin for us?” Dirk stared at her. “C’mon man. It’ll be fun.”

Dirk’s gaze gave the impression that if he had been human at the moment, he would have started rambling. That actually wasn’t a bad plan, because even the rambles brought on by his confusion were pretty distracting. He was a wolf though, so he would have to be more creative. He trotted away from the van, earning a sad noise from Beast. Dirk paused for a second, and then was suddenly dragging Vogel along with him. Amanda was lost, but the young wolf seemed to know exactly what was happening. He started limping.

_Oh._

Vogel began to whine, and Dirk began to howl. If they wanted to get Martin’s attention, this was the way. Martin was already on his feet, and as he sniffed the air, he bounded over to where Vogel and Dirk were standing.

They were going to get in so much trouble for this; no sense in missing out.

As Martin crouched down to see what was wrong with Vogel, the two wolves – and Amanda – tackled Martin all at once. Martin actually whined as he fell to the ground, and all three of them howled in victory. She could hear everyone around them laughing; they’d gotten Martin out of his brooding session.

There was a sensation of rushing air, and all of a sudden Martin was standing over both Vogel and Amanda. Dirk had already escaped under him to drag Todd into the mix. Amanda shared a look with Vogel.

This was the best night she’d had in months. Vogel rolled onto his feet and bumped his head up against Martin’s shoulder. Martin snorted, glaring down at the younger wolf but melted after a moment and carefully pushed him with his nose.

“There’s the party animal!” Amanda hollered as she got to her feet, only to throw herself at Martin, both of them falling to the ground. Vogel yipped and joined in, laying across Martin’s middle and helping Amanda keep him down.

Dirk had made it over to Todd and was quite literally dragging him by the scruff towards the fray, Beast shouting encouragement from the roof of the van. Amanda saw a flash and turned to see Farah holding her phone.

“And that’s blackmail done for the night.” She said, laughing to herself as Todd barked over at her. Cross and Gripps had wandered back; drawn by the commotion and Gripps’ sudden development of a limp, which Amanda was sure had something to do with Cross falling out of the tree and then landing on top of him. They joined in, putting more weight on Martin who was growling slightly, but not making a move to get up.

Amanda watched as Todd finally gave up and stood following a bouncing Dirk over to the pile. He seemed hesitant at first but Dirk bumped up against his side and pushed him forward.

“Come on bro, don’t be a downer.” Amanda said, smiling as Todd snorted at her before moving forward, laying across her legs and Dirk laying over him.

“No! Bart! No, let go!” Ethan shouted as Bart dragged him towards the pile.

“Calm down, ain’t nothing gonna happen to yous.” They threw him forward, making him trip over Dirk and land upside down near Amanda. He let out a groan as Dirk lightly growled at him before settling back down.

“Are they always like this?” He asked, glancing over at Amanda.

“Dude, I’ve known Bart about the same amount of time as you, and I’m gonna go with yeah, yeah they are.” Bart sat down, leaning against Dirk’s side, smiling over at Amanda and Ethan.

“Yous ain’t seen nothing yet.” They said. Amanda heard Ethan audibly swallow and she laughed.

“Well, there you have it Ethan. You’re definitely gonna die.” Amanda said, smirking down at him. He had closed his eyes and appeared to be doing breathing exercises, mumbling something about streams, and calm, and other such nonsense. Amanda glanced up and watched as Beast dragged Farah over, depositing her next to Todd and then hopping over towards Cross and Gripps.

“Is this normally how the full moons go?” Farah asked, tentatively reaching out to pet Todd’s head. Amanda smiled and nodded. This was what she loved most. Being surrounded on all sides and knowing that she was completely safe. Even with Bart there.

“Isn’t it great?” she said glancing towards Martin who had been able to roll slightly so that he could look around. The brooding look he had been wearing had melted and Amanda was fairly certain she had never seen him look so relaxed. Amanda sighed, relaxing further into the pile and closing her eyes.

The warm feeling in her chest helped calm her further and she knew that that was what pack felt like, what home felt like.

Nothing could hurt them when they were together.

* * *

**The Chicken Doesn’t Live**

“There’s an ocean, just right over there. I know you can smell it! I can smell it! So what do you say? A quick there and back again adventure? Let’s go find it, yeah?” he was laying with his head resting in Todd’s lap smiling up at him. Todd smiled back and shrugged.

“Sure, why not. Do you want to see if the others want to come along or–” Todd felt Dirk’s annoyance and he raised his eyebrows.

Oh.

“Or we can go ourselves, that works too.” Todd said, feeling his face flush.

“Where ya goin?” Vogel had appeared out of thin air, if Todd didn’t know any better he would have placed money on the youngest Rowdy being able to teleport. Todd jumped slightly and looked down at Dirk who smiled and shrugged.

“Just gonna go for a walk out to where the ocean is–”

“Can I come?” Todd glanced down at Dirk who was still smiling up at him.

“Absolutely Vogel! The more the merrier! Isn’t that right, Todd?” He laughed as he sat up and pushed himself onto this feet. Todd laughed and followed him up.

“That’s what I’m always saying.” He turned back toward the group who were lounging around the campfire.

“We’re gonna go find the ocean, be back in a bit!” He threw a wave which Martin returned as they followed Vogel down the forest path in the direction of the ocean. A ‘quick there and back again adventure’ just like Dirk said. What could possibly go wrong?  
  


Dirk hadn’t registered it as a hunch. He just wanted to go find the ocean. It smelled so good after all, and they had been hanging around the campsite for nearly three days, and he was bored. So he had chalked up the feeling to cabin fever. As they followed Vogel through the woods he got more and more excited.

Sure, he had seen oceans. England was an island, it was somewhat impossible not to the see the ocean, or the channel or any other large body of water. But he had yet to see the Pacific Ocean. The Puget Sound didn’t count, it was a Sound, not an ocean. And sure, it had whales, and whales lived in the the ocean, but this was the ocean proper and he was going to see it. With Todd. They would see it together.

“Have you ever seen the ocean, Todd?” Todd glanced over as they continued forward.

“Yeah, I mean, we live in Seattle, the Sound is right there.”

“That’s not the ocean, I mean, proper stretches till the horizon ocean. Wine-red sea ocean. There’s definitely mermaids out there ocean. That ocean.” Dirk said, gesturing wildly toward Vogel who had stopped a ways up ahead to wait from them to catch up. Todd laughed.

“Yes, I’ve seen that ocean as well. Though, it’s not really wine-red here, it’s more, endless gray blue. But it’s sunny today, so probably more blue than gray.” Todd glanced down at his feet to make sure he didn’t trip as they crested a small hill.

“Well I’ve never seen the Pacific. The Atlantic obviously, and the Mediterranean once when I was on a case involving a pair of missing shoes and a very angry demigod. To be fair, they were her shoes, so I guess she had a right to be angry. The lightning was a bit much though. But I’ve never seen the Pacific. And the Sound most certainly does not count, it’s more like a bay.” Todd laughed as they caught up with Vogel who bounced around them quickly before running down the slope.

Dirk could hear the ocean now, the waves crashing against rocks, the seagulls crying as they swooped in low.

“Do you think there will be cliffs or a beach? I mean cliffs are all well and good, but a beach would be much more fun. We could lay out on the sand, and watch the waves, and play in the water. Make a morning of it!” Dirk was trying to imagine the things you did on beaches. From films he knew that sandcastles played an important role as well as towels, and volleyballs, quite a bit of 80s pop music. The more he thought about it the more he realized that his information may have been a bit dated.

“I’m actually not sure, I’ve never been this far down the coast before. We don’t really have, like, sharp cliffs like they do over in Europe, ours are a bit more sloped. I’m sure we can find you some sand if we look hard enough.” Todd smiled as he looped his arm through Dirk’s. Vogel had paused up ahead and was waiting for them.

“Looks like we found a road! Wanna go that way, Dirk?” Vogel asked, pointing towards a small parking lot visible through the trees at the end of the path.

“Fantastic! We can walk along the road for a bit and see if we can get down to the ocean. If not, I’m sure the view is positively lovely.” Vogel lead on down the path and out of the trees. There were a few cars parked in the lot but other than that no one was there. They walked out towards the road and Todd spotted a sign that said ‘Lookout, ¼ Mile’ so they walked in that direction.

The lookout was spectacular.

It appeared after a bend in the road and the trees on the ocean side fell away and they could see could see for miles down the coast. Vogel raced over and hopped up onto the stone railing, sitting with his legs dangling over the other side. Dirk felt Todd’s panic but Dirk gave him a little push.

“He’ll be fine. Come on! Let’s see if we can see any whales!” Dirk dragged Todd over next to Vogel who had his eyes closed and a smile on his face, enjoying the sun and the fresh air.

Todd had been right, the cliffs along the coast sloped down to meet the sea, some at sharper angles than others, but all scalable if given enough time and equipment.

“Todd? Do you know any ocean facts? You are the local in this instance after all.” Todd glanced over and shook his head.

“Sorry Dirk, I don’t know a ton about the ocean. Getting electrocuted and time travel and fantastical dimensions, I’m your guy, but oceans? I got nothing.”

“It’s big, and blue, and wet, and tastes like salt!” Vogel shouted, leaning backwards slightly and craning his neck to look over at Dirk and Todd.

“Thank you Vogel. Succinct, to the point, and all correct! See Todd, that wasn’t that hard to come up with ocean facts.” Dirk said, bumping Todd with his shoulder. Todd laughed and nodded his head.

“You got me there.” They stayed at the look out for a short while, watching the waves, and the birds, and looking out into the endless horizon. Dirk was about to suggest they head off in search of a way down to the beach when he felt a pull back towards camp. It wasn’t bad, or good, it was just a pull.

“You two ready to head back? I’m sure the others are wondering where we are and I could do with some lunch if I’m being honest.” Dirk said, watching as Vogel swung his legs back over the wall and bounced to the ground. Todd seemed to have noticed the hunch and frowned over at Dirk.

“Everything okay?” he asked. Dirk nodded. It was fine. He was sure it was fine. They were near the ocean, in the middle of the woods, what could be wrong?

“Absolutely, Todd! Just peckish. Aren’t you? You barely ate any of those watermelon pop tarts this morning.” todd scrunched up his nose and shook his head.

“Because they are an affront to nature, and you know it. But, no, I just mean, it sorta felt like you got a hunch. Is everything okay?” Dirk nodded smiling.

“It’s nothing, probably just the universe letting me know the others are starting to worry. Come along, don’t want to keep Vogel waiting.” Dirk said, gesturing toward Vogel who had already made it back to the bend in the road.

The walk back to the parking lot was quick, only about ten minutes, and Dirk noticed another car had parked in the lot. Probably more hikers looking to get a nice view of the ocean. They headed back up the trail the way they had come, carefully following their own scent back to camp.

Dirk wasn’t sure when the odd feeling had settled in his chest, but it had grown to the point where Todd had noticed.

“Is everything okay? You seem, I don’t know, anxious?” Todd asked, stopping them along the path. Vogel paused up ahead and came back to meet them.

“I’m not sure.” Dirk glanced around. Something was off. He couldn’t put his finger on it. For a brief moment he felt like he was back in the dream that he had had in Blackwing. Something wasn’t quite right with the woods.

“I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Svlad.”

Dirk’s blood ran cold, and he could see Vogel tense out of the corner of his eye. Not here. Not now. Not ever again. Todd promised.

Todd was the only one not frozen. He spun towards the voice trying to put as much of himself between it and Dirk and Vogel as he could.

Priest stepped out from behind a tree, gun raised, and looking far more worse for wear than the last time Dirk had seen him. He was covered in burn marks, most likely from Farah’s explosives. Dirk would have to thank her for that. If they ever saw Farah again, that is.

“Stay back.” Todd growled and Dirk was almost impressed, but his fear had consumed all his other emotions.

“Oh, so this is the boyfriend. We haven’t actually met. But it don’t matter none, cause I’ll be killing you and taking those two back where they belong.” Priest cocked the gun and aimed it at Todd.

“You’re out here all alone.” Dirk was speaking, when had he started speaking? “Where’s Ken? Doesn’t he like, follow you places for this sort of thing?” Priest cracked a smile.

“Oh that wash up? He split. Bout a month ago after you and your pals destroyed our base. Something about ‘redemption’ and ‘maybe the universe will be kind’ and ‘blah, blah, blah’– Boring! But this!” he gestured with the gun, “This is where the fun’s at. Hunting, chasing, tracking. Shooting.”  
  


He fired a warning shot at the ground, just shy of Todd’s foot. The sound echoed through the trees and sent several birds screeching away. Todd growled again.

“You’re not taking them. Not again, not ever! Over my dead body!”

“That can be arranged.” He raised his gun, taking aim.

“Wait!” Dirk screamed, reaching out to get Todd out of the range of fire. This couldn’t happen, he wouldn’t let it.

He watched as the bullet reached Todd first.

Dirk felt the bullet tear through him and he thought it was the worse pain he’d ever felt, but it wasn’t his pain. Todd collapsed to ground, a cry escaping him.

“Todd!” Vogel screamed as Dirk looked down in horror.

No. Not _this_. Not Todd.

His nightmare had come to life. Stupid Dirk, with the stupid hunches. He wasn’t psychic, but the universe had shown him this and he couldn’t stop it.

Dirk felt the hate, and the rage, and the pain all swirl in his chest as he looked up at Priest who was cackling.

“See what I mean? I’ll be taking Svlad and Jacob now.”

“That’s. Not. My. Name.” Dirk felt the growl in his throat. And Priest heard the shift. He looked up at Dirk, surprise and interest on his face.

“Oh really? And what are you gonna do about it? Svlad.”

Dirk stepped over Todd, focused solely on Priest and the heat in his chest.

“Dirk, wait–”

But he couldn’t hear Todd, not anymore. All that was left was the rage. Dirk Gently was gone.

Martin was sprawled out in front of the van, tapping impatiently to the beat coming out of the van radio. Vogel, Dirk, and Todd had been gone for nearly a half hour, and having Vogel away from the group for that long was a touchy subject. He’d probably fine, but he couldn’t erase the worry that had settled in his stomach. He needed to be sure that Vogel was safe, and he couldn’t do that if he wasn’t there with them all.

“Hey.” Amanda threw her hat on the ground, panting as she rested next to Martin. Packing away the guns with Farah wasn’t fun work, but she seemed to enjoy it all the same. Farah was currently arguing with herself on which gun was best to carry around in case of Blackwing agents. “You okay?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“C’mon.” She bumped into his shoulder. “You’ve been sitting here since they left. You didn’t even help Gripps set up lunch! You tired from last night or something?”

Martin smiled, shrugging.

“Ain’t no moon’s gonna tire me out, Drummer. Just waiting.”

“For Vogel?”

Martin didn’t answer, but traded a grin with Amanda. She sighed, leaning back and patting his arm awkwardly.

“He’ll be fine, man. Todd’s pretty tough despite being sort of a dumbass. And I’ve seen Vogel take out like, ten guards at once. I’m sure he’ll be alright.”

She smiled, brushing the hair out of her eyes. Cross and Gripps were arguing over the last box of poptarts, and their disagreement had begun to waft over to Martin and Amanda. She laughed, and even Martin cracked a smile.

“Besides. Who would come to this place? He’s safe. I’m not sure anyone can even find us out here.”

Over by the fire, Bart was telling Ethan their alarming collection of stories. At the moment, Amanda was able to catch a few words, some of which were ‘queen’, ‘behead’, and ‘chicken’. Ethan looked like he was going to throw up, but nonetheless was staying in his seat. It was a good thing too, because Amanda suspected that Bart had claimed Ethan as their new best friend. At least he wasn’t dead.

“Should we, warn Ethan?”

Martin looked over, not needing any context. He shrugged, chuckling under his breath.

“Nah. Boy’ll figure it out.”

“Hope he’s up for the job. I wouldn’t be.”

Martin glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

“Says the girl who trusted a random van full of werewolves.”

Amanda nodded, agreeing with him. Amanda looked down, suddenly hesitant. This was the time, the perfect time, but she didn’t know how to word it. How often do you have practice asking a werewolf about this? She knew she’d never had to before this; maybe Vogel might know.

“Can I, ask you something? Like, about the whole, werewolf thing?”

Martin turned, raising his eyebrows. He stared at Amanda for a second, registering the hesitation.

“Sure thing, Drummer. Something wrong?”

Amanda took a breath.

“Vogel said that you guys like, bit him right? Like he wasn’t born like that. Why– what’s the story behind that?”

“Didn’t Vogel tell you?”

“He never got to. We were kinda always busy, you know?”

Martin leaned back, looking into the trees. His expression had changed, and Amanda thought that if she didn’t know him, his dark expression would have scared her. She bit her lip; she shouldn’t have asked. Before she got the chance to get up however, Martin sighed.

“Vogel was pretty young. Seventeen. Eighteen. He was always asking us about it ever since he was a kid. Even in Blackwing. We wanted to wait. Let him be a kid a bit longer. Blackwing didn’t take away all his childhood.”

Amanda had settled in back next to him, listening with bated breath.

“We met these folks out in the woods. Real mad about us breaking their stuff. We were just gonna head off, but apparently folks nowadays like guns.” Martin had clenched his fist, and Amanda cringed as even she felt the anger radiating off of him.

“Did they… did they shoot–?” Amanda spoke quietly, looking up at him. His silence was the answer.

“Boy was bleeding real bad. Ain’t a hospital for miles. He got real scared, like. The blood reminded him of Priest.” Martin took a breath. “Wouldn’t of been able to help him if we hadn't… so I went ahead. He got better. I ain’t let him outta my sight since.”

“Martin…” Amanda reached out, trying to find a way to calm him down. “No one’s gonna get shot out here. We’re safe. Vogel can take down a freaking SWAT team. Farah has a rocket launcher. We have _Bart._ No one’s getting hurt again, you don’t have to protect everyone.”

Martin looked down at her, smiling now as his anger ebbed away.

“Thanks, ‘manda.”

Martin tensed, sitting up straight. His eyes searched the trees, and he was suddenly pulling Amanda to her feet.

“You smell that, boys?”

Cross and Gripps had drifted over to Martin, using their eyes to search where Martin couldn’t. Amanda held her breath; no one else had seemed to notice their unease.

She heard it. There was a yelp from somewhere in the trees, and all at once a ragged looking figure quite literally had fallen into Bart. Ethan screamed, scrambling back and bumping into Farah. The figure on the ground groaned.

Then he met eyes with Bart, and he screamed.

Ken rolled away, putting his hands up as a shield against whatever Bart threw at him. He pushed himself to his feet, backing away quickly from Bart. His clothes looked ill fitting, and they didn’t look like they’d been changed in days. He looked like a bigger mess than Bart, who currently looked murderous. Bart started towards him, raising the empty pop tart box as a weapon.

“Wait wait wait wait wait Bart! Bart! Stop! Stop!” Ken was backed up against a tree, covering his face. Bart was still coming towards him, but paused for a second to bite back.

“I told yous not to come near me!”

“I know I know I didn’t mean to! You just– you gotta let me explain–”

“Yous explained enough!”

Bart threw the box at his head, and he ducked to avoid it. The box narrowly missed his head, but the ducking caused him to hit it on the back of the tree. He fell onto his knees, rubbing his head. Bart was breathing heavily, and Farah took the moment to step in between them.

“Alright! Let’s calm down here!”

“I gots to kill him lady!”

“I know! And, knowing you you probably will. But, he might know something. He found us in the middle of nowhere after all and that’s, well, that’s very not great.”

Cross murmured in agreement, and Bart backed up to where Ethan was standing. He looked like he was going to wet himself. Farah turned to the cowering Ken, who was still shielding his injured head. Farah crossed her arms, not bothering to get her gun; Ken was harmless with the threat of Bart looming over him.

“You have 60 seconds before I let Bart come back over here. Talk.” Farah said. Ken opened his eyes and looked up at her.

“I, I’m not sure I can say everything in–”

“50 seconds.”

“Okay, okay! I, I left. Blackwing, after, after the whole thing. And I was keeping tabs on– on Priest, and the files, and that sort of thing. To make sure that– that– I don’t even know. Just keeping tabs. And Priest, he said, he said he was going to find you. All of you. Bring you in dead or alive. And I thought, maybe if I can warn them, or something, maybe, I don’t know. So I followed Priest here and I came to warn you and it looks like I beat him here. And– wait. Where’s Dirk?” Ken looked around Farah at the group behind her.

Martin growled at the mention of Priest’s name, and Gripps and Cross closed in around Amanda. Amanda ducked under them, dodging Martin’s grasp and coming up to Farah.

“What do you mean you followed him? Is he here? Shit.”

“This isn’t good.” Farah took out her phone. “We need to get the others back now. If he’s here–”

In the distance, they heard a gunshot.

“Oh _shit._ ”

“You two. Stay here with Ken. Make sure he doesn’t move. Do _not_ kill him, yet.” Farah gestured to Ethan and Bart as she threw her phone aside in favour of her gun. “Amanda. You guys come with me.”

The boys nodded, and Farah was already starting to run towards the direction of the noise. Amanda glanced at the Rowdies, who looked livid, before following her. All five of them ran through the woods, holding their guns, bats, and just pure unadulterated rage. Another shot rang out just as Farah cleared through the treeline, and then stopped dead.

Amanda’s breath caught in her throat. Todd was on the ground, clutching the side of his stomach. He was bleeding all over, and his breathing looked labored. She watched Dirk step over him, and it took her a second to register the fact that he was shaking. Vogel had backed away from Todd, and was frozen in terror.

Amanda stepped forward, but was pulled back by Cross. He shook his head, keeping her from going any nearer.

“Ain’t gonna work, drummer.”

“Dirk is gone.”

“Gotta get to Vogel.”

Amanda glanced between Cross and Gripps, but was pulled back to the scene by a loud, inhuman noise. Farah lowered her gun, her eyes wide as she stared at Dirk. Dirk had, impossible as it was, shifted into his wolf form, and was closing in slowly on Priest. Priest’s face dropped, and so did his weapon.

“Now… Svlad. Let’s not do something regrettable.” Priest backed away from the growling wolf; Dirk looked intent on murder.

“What the hell? The moon was last night.” Amanda whispered quietly, unable to take her eyes from Dirk. Cross looked at her, following her gaze with a worried frown.

“Pup’s bond is in danger. He’s angry.”

Vogel was still frozen, standing near Todd who was trying to push himself up. Amanda took a breath; she needed to take some control of this situation.

“We need to get to Vogel. And Todd. Now.”

Cross nodded, and looked back at Martin. Martin pushed through, staying on the treeline so he wouldn’t get in Dirk’s way. There was no telling what would happen if he did.

“You get your brother, Drummer.”

Dirk was still converging on Priest, who was backing up now. They took this opportunity to slip behind him, and Vogel took a moment to realize that it was his brothers rushing towards him, and not Priest. When he did, he fell into them, grabbing them in a tight embrace for life.

“He’s here. He’s here. He’s– he’s gonna–”

“He ain’t getting you, Vogel. He’s alone. Don’t you worry. We got you.”

“He’s… he’s gonna…” Vogel couldn’t form the words. He buried his face in Martin’s chest, and Gripps shielded him from Priest’s view as the boy started shaking. Down on the ground, Farah was trying to turn Todd on his back.

“Just– just work with me, okay? Okay? We, we need to apply pressure until it heals.”

“Todd. Todd are you okay? I swear to god if you die.”

Todd moaned, rolling on his side to face Dirk and Priest. Dirk had cornered Priest, and if he hadn’t been as dizzy, he would have realized that Priest had blanched. Even sociopaths will cower in front of an angry werewolf, especially one that had their teeth bared in their face.

“Dirk…”

Dirk let out a vicious snarl as he lunged forward, and with a sound that startled even the Rowdies, Priest screamed.

Priest was thrown onto the ground, clutching his stomach. It was drenched in blood, and so was Dirk’s muzzle. He had bitten him. Dirk lunged at him again, and Priest’s breath caught as Dirk grabbed a hold of his leg and dragged him. Dirk didn’t hesitate, and in a second he was already lunging for Priest’s throat. He was spitting up blood; he looked pathetic.

“Dirk.” Todd’s voice was stronger now, and he tried to sit up. He didn’t get far though; his side hurt too badly. Damn gunshot wound.

“Dirk!”

Dirk stopped, sniffing the air. His bloodied muzzle turned towards Todd, and he tilted his head. Priest was bleeding out on the ground and trying to steady his breathing.

“Dirk. Dirk, hey. Can you hear me?” Todd felt breathless. “You there?”

Dirk didn’t move.

“I’m– I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Can you hear me? I wanna kill him too, man. But we– we can’t do it now. You won’t forgive yourself.” Todd cried out as a stab of pain shot through his wound, and he fell back down as he clutched at his side. Dirk whimpered as Todd swore under his breath. Every breath he took sent another stab of pain. He closed his eyes.

He heard the sounds of Amanda and Farah scrambling away, and suddenly he felt the muzzle of a wolf trying to roll him over. Peeking up, he saw Dirk standing over him, whining.

“Dirk.”

Dirk lowered himself, putting his head on the ground and looking up at Todd. He didn’t seem as angry anymore. Todd gave a painful laugh, and reached out to touch his head.

“Hey man.” Dirk shuffled closer, still whining. Blood was getting all over Todd’s neck from Dirk’s muzzle, but he at least had stopped trying to hurt everyone. Todd could already feel his body trying to repair itself; he was going to be okay. _Dirk_ was going to be okay.

Behind Dirk, Todd registered movement. Priest had made it to his feet, blood slowly pouring from his wounds, and raised his hand. He had retrieved his gun.

“No–!”

There was a loud bark, and a massive white wolf slid in between them. Martin’s head was lowered, growling at Priest who groaned and lowered his weapon. He laughed under his breath, coughing up blood. Martin towered over him, threatening to rip his throat out with his teeth.

“Guess you win this time.”

Dirk had closed his eyes and Todd could feel his emotions trying to come back down. The danger was no longer immediate and Todd could feel Dirk slowly losing his hold on the shift, pain working into his joints. Todd could just barely hear the worried thoughts racing through Dirk’s head. Did the rage make him as bad as Priest? What if he hadn’t been able to stop? Todd held onto him tighter, trying to keep him grounded. Farah suddenly walked past them, cocking her gun. Slowly, she reached for Martin.

“Go help your pack,” she said, glowering at Priest, “I’ll get him. No one beats me in a fight. Or hurts my friends.”

Martin nodded slowly, backing away towards the rest of the group. Taking a breath, Farah pointed her gun to Priest’s head.

Todd closed his eyes as Farah fired.  
  


Todd wasn’t sure when he had dozed off but woke up warm with something heavy draped across his chest. He blinked open his eyes to a mess of auburn hair resting right below his chin. The pain in his side was almost completely gone and it looked like someone had managed to get him back to the campsite. He could hear the others off to the side talking about Ken. Was Ken there? Did his day just get worse than being shot?

He took a deep breath which seemed to be the only movement needed to wake Dirk. His head shot up and he made a groaning noise.

“Hey you.” Todd said softly. Dirk turned and smiled.

“Hey.” Dirk smiled resting his head back down on Todd’s chest.

“So, did we win?” Todd asked. Dirk nodded.

“Yeah, something like that. But you’re okay, and that’s what matters.” Todd heard Dirk sigh, and his embrace tightened. Todd wrapped his arms around him, playing with his hair.

“What about… you know. Did they–”

“He’s gone.” Dirk’s voice had taken on a strange tone. “He’s gone. He’s gone, Todd.”

Todd didn’t respond, letting his own calm emotions drape over Dirk. He felt Dirk relax, and his emotions soon mirrored Todd’s. He made a contented sound, and Todd had to agree. They were safe. _Dirk_ was safe. Todd ran his hands through Dirk’s hair.

“Dirk?”

Dirk looked up, meeting eyes with Todd with a small smile on his face. God, Todd loved his smile.

“Can I kiss you?”

Dirk didn’t respond, reaching up to where Todd was to fulfil his request. Todd kissed back, and he almost, if he was being honest, wanted to stay in this moment forever. Dirk broke the kiss, stroking Todd’s cheek before burrowing himself back in his chest.

“You know,” he started,” I think we may just have to limit your gunshot allowance.”

“My what?”

“You’re allowance. It happens much too often for comfort. We really should address that.”

Todd laughed, putting his lips to Dirk’s head. They stayed like that for a moment, basking in the sun hitting the forest floor. Everything was perfect. _They_ were perfect. Dirk was melting into Todd’s embrace, and none of the anger from the attack seemed present, just relief.

Todd registered a voice coming from behind him.

“Yeah I get that Bart but uh, maybe like, don’t kill me? Please? We can– we can work this out.”

Bart huffed. Todd let go of Dirk, rolling over as his stomach went hot. Ken.

Ken was bouncing his leg nervously, trying to shift as far away from Bart as he could. Ethan was by their side, his arms crossed as he stared at Ken, somewhat incredulous. Bart seemed to be contemplating something.

“Does the– does the universe say anything, Bartine?” Ethan tried to drive on the conversation; silence seemed to unnerve him. Bart shrugged.

“I dunno. It won’t. It ain’t saying nothing to me.”

“So… do you want to kill him?”

“I… I dunno. It’s all weird. The universe is all quiet. Like, it’s letting me decide, I think…” Bart’s voice faded, looking around for something that wasn’t there.

“Bart. Please. We can just– we can just leave. I can leave and you don’t have to see me.”

“And then you’ll go back to Blackwing.”

“No! No, Bart I… I’m not doing that. I can’t… I’m not sure what they did was what they were supposed to.” Ken said desperately. Ethan nodded, not seeming to realize that he was leaning in. Bart sighed.

“You should go. Before the universe comes back.” Bart pointed to Ken suddenly. “But if yous do anything, I’ll kill you.”

Ken nodded fervently, already getting up off of his chair. He eyed Ethan. Todd shook his head, turning back to Dirk. Dirk shrugged, watching Ken go with his breath held. Todd put his hand on his cheek, breaking him out of the moment; it worked, and Dirk found himself looking into Todd’s eyes again.

“Lunch?”

Over by the van, Vogel was curled up in the middle of an actual dog pile. Martin was still in his wolf form, and he was curled up around him. Cross, Gripps, Beast, and Amanda were all draped over him. He wasn’t sure if any of them were actually asleep, but Vogel certainly was. He was breathing softly, his arms around Martin’s neck. Farah was sitting inside the van, speaking softly over the phone.

“I don’t care how mature he is, or how many alien incursions he’s stopped, Tina, you can’t leave a teenager in charge… oh. I have to go.” Farah waved at Dirk and Todd, jumping out and putting her phone in her pocket. She grinned at them, and threw a box at them. As it landed a few feet from them, Todd recognized the packaging of the watermelon poptarts.

“I’m glad you’re awake. We were all pretty worried.”

Todd propped up on his elbows, squinting against the sun.

“Well thanks I–”

“I was talking to Dirk.” Farah smiled. “We all knew you were gonna be just fine. You weren’t the one who got so angry he shifted into a werewolf in the middle of the day. But it’s cool you’re okay too, I guess.”

“Shit. That really happened, then?” Dirk nodded, looking away. He was going red.

“Damn. Was that… because of me?”

Dirk went quiet, and Todd pulled him into another hug. Dirk shuddered, and Todd registered that he was crying. He rubbed his back, mouthing at Farah to get him some water. She wandered away, leaving Todd and Dirk in as much peace as they could find in the campsite.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Dirk shook his head.

“You could have died. And I– I knew, and I didn’t tell you, cause I thought it was a nightmare, but it was the _stupid_ universe and–” Dirk was spiraling, Todd could feel it in his chest.

“Whoa, hey, deep breath. What nightmare?” Todd sat all the way up, pushing Dirk a little away from him so that he could see his face. Dirk was looking down, not making eye contact.

“Back– back in Blackwing. I had this dream. And it was so nice, and soft, and warm, and you were there and then it all went wrong. Pri– he appeared, and he shot you, and you died, and I couldn’t save you. You died, and, and I was alone. And then today, when– I just, I couldn’t think. It was like I was there, again, in the nightmare. And I was so afraid, so afraid that I wouldn’t be able to save you again, and you would–”

“Dirk, hey, look at me. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” Todd directed Dirk’s gaze at his own. “I’m all yours.”

Dirk smiled.

“I love you, Todd.”

“I love you too, Dirk. To the moon and back.” Dirk frowned.

“Why– why would you say that?” Todd was confused. What had he done?

“It’s an expression. Does it mean something else in England? Is it not a thing?” Dirk was still frowning.

“It’s just, you said that, in the dream.”

“Oh, well, dream me was a smart dude.” Todd smiled.

Behind them, they heard Vogel groan. He lifted his head off of Martin, blinking. When he saw Todd and Dirk, his expression brightened.

“Pup! Dirk!” Vogel jumped up, running over to hug them both. They laughed as the boy pulled them up, embracing them both in a tight hug. He seemed excited.

“You’re okay! Drummer said you weren’t hurt that bad but you were sleeping for like, so long! We had to eat lunch without you! We thought you were never gonna wake up, man!”

Martin stirred, and the other Rowdies were sitting up now. Amanda was holding Beast down, keeping her from tackling Dirk, much to her dismay. She looked put out for a second, but as soon as Amanda handed her a squeaky toy, she seemed to have forgotten all about Dirk. It was Panic Pete. Mona. Martin looked around for a second, then walked off into the treeline. Cross and Gripps followed close behind. Cross had clothes in his hand. Vogel gasped.

“You guys want food?! We still got plenty!”

He dived past Farah, who had just come back with a bottle of water. She jumped out of way, and Vogel pulled out something other than watermelon poptarts. He was holding a bag of marshmallows. Pink marshmallows. Farah visibly sighed as Vogel stuffed them into Todd’s hand.

“Uh… thanks?”

“You need anything else?! A blanket!? A toy!? Gripps has some cool clothes in the van–”

“We’re fine, Vogel. Thanks though.” Todd said, smiling at him.

He nodded, jumping on the balls of his feet. Behind him, Amanda called him over. Vogel bounded over to her and Beast leaving Todd and Dirk standing there, smiling down at the pink marshmallows.

“So, as much as I would love to eat that whole bag, do you think we have any more of those protein bars left?” Dirk asked, raising an eyebrow. Todd nodded.

“I’m sure we can find something. But we will be coming back to the marshmallows.”

“What’s this I hear about marshmallows?” Martin walked out of the woods, trailed by the two older Rowdies. He was dressed in loose fitting clothes, but was nonetheless dressed. Todd held up the bag, and Cross’s eyes lit up. Debating for a second, Todd looked at Dirk before throwing them th bag. Martin laughed, walking up to them.

“I’m glad you two are okay,” he said, patting them on the back. Dirk beamed at him. Martin looked to Todd, contemplating.

“‘M glad you bonded with Brit, Pup. You did good.”

Todd nodded, biting on the inside of his lip to keep from smiling. Martin clapped his hands together.

“Right! Anyone got an idea on where to go?”

* * *

_**A Couple Months Later** _

**Why is it always aliens?**

Dirk had lost his phone back somewhere in the catacombs. Ethan was hunkered down next to him because ‘please Dirk, can I come’ and ‘the office is so boring when you guys are out’. They had lost Bart about a half a mile back, right around the same time Dirk had lost his phone.

“What do we do now?” Ethan shouted as the explosions sounded overhead.

“I can’t hear you!” Dirk shouted back, pointing to his ears that were ringing loudly. The explosions had all but shot his hearing. Ethan grabbed hold of his arm and was pointing over the boulder they were currently hiding behind. Dirk inched up and snuck a peek.

He could just make out Bart, with what looked like an alien blaster in their hand, firing quickly at something behind them. If Bart was running away from something, they should probably be doing the same. Dirk grabbed hold of the front of Ethan’s shirt and pulled him up and away from the boulder. Bart saw them and tossed the blaster, choosing instead to run after them.

Dirk had seen the map, he was sure he knew where he was going, and the universe was pulling him towards something, he just hoped it was an exit.

“Dirk!” He glanced up, realizing that his hearing was slowly coming back. Bart had caught up with them.

“What are those guys?” Bart shouted.

“Ah, yes well, Ethan is always complaining about never seeing aliens–”

“I’m sorry! I won’t complain anymore!”

“–And so I thought, ‘hey, why not bring our secretary and his murdery best friend into the middle of an intergalactic land dispute? What’s the worst that could happen?’ Well, apparently the worst is aliens trying to BLOW UP THE PLANET!” Bart seemed unfazed by this.

“So like, can I kill more of them?” Dirk sighed, gesturing for them to take the lead.

“After you Bart.” Bart led them up a set of stairs and through a door into the abandoned warehouse they had entered through. Todd was standing a ways away from the door in the middle of the floor and turned towards the noise.

“There you are! I’ve been calling you! Where’s your phone?” Dirk gestured behind him towards the closed door.

“Somewhere under some rubble. We–”

“We can discuss this later. Come here.” Todd dragged Dirk to the center of the room and pushed him towards a large obelisk that was in the center of the room. That was odd, what was more odd was the blue lights coming off the smooth black surface.

“Um, what’s this?” Dirk asked, looking over at Todd.

“It asked for you.” Todd said, waving his hand.

“Dirk Gently.” a loud booming voice filled the warehouse. Dirk started back and looked the obelisk up and down.

“Hello? Can I help you?” Dirk asked.

“Dirk Gently. Are you aware of the Intergalactic Planetary Code E97-0?” the voice asked.

“‘Fraid not. We’re rather, ground, centric here on Earth. We don’t get out much.” Dirk said, watching as the lights on the obelisk changed from blue to white.

“Planet Earth is set for demolition, however, the inhabitants of this planet have been marked as sentient. We must conduct a test to deem sentience. Are you capable of taking this test?” Dirk glanced over at Todd who was shrugging his shoulders.

“Well, I mean, yes, I’m sure, I can, but would it perhaps be possible to maybe study a little fi–”

“The test of sentience will be administered immediately. Are you prepared?”

“If I don’t answer the questions the planet gets blown up, correct?”

“Correct.”

“And if I answer them wrong?” Dirk was panicking, the entirety of humanity was boiling down to a few questions.

“The planet will be terminated.”

“Okay, well, I just– um– just a moment.” He turned to face the others who were understandably panicked.

“Anyone have any better ideas?” Dirk asked. He was met with head shaking. He took a deep breath, and turned back to the obelisk.

“Ask away.”

“What is the chemical makeup of water?”

“Really? That’s the first question–”

“What is the chemical makeup of water?”

“Oh, um, H2O. Or that is to say, two hydrogen and one oxygen.” Dirk said, cringing slightly as the obelisk lit up green.

“Correct. What color refracts in Earth’s atmosphere during the day?” the voice continued. Dirk glanced over at Todd. Were all of the question seriously this easy?

“Blue.”

“Correct. What is greater than knowledge?”

Dirk just had to think it, didn’t he? What is greater than knowledge? That could literally be anything.

“Um–”

“Repeat. What is greater than knowledge?” Dirk glanced over at Todd and felt the panic rise in his chest, but then he smiled.

“Love.” Dirk said, looking back at the obelisk. There was a solid second where the lights remained white and Dirk was sure he had gotten the question wrong.

“Correct. Final question. What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?” Well, that’s it, the world was doomed. If love wasn’t the answer to that one he wasn’t sure what was.

“42.” Bart said from behind him. Dirk spun in a circle and frowned at them.

“42? Bart that’s–”

“Correct. Planet Earth shall be marked as sentient and removed from the demolition manifest. Thank you for your time, and have a nice day.” The obelisk vanished in a flash of light, leaving the four of them standing there. Dirk glanced over at Ethan who looked like he hadn’t breathed in sometime.

“Still sure you want to meet aliens, Ethan?” Dirk asked. Ethan just shook his head, continuing to stare at the place where the obelisk had been. Bart snorted and hooked their arm through Ethan’s.

“Come on, Eth. You can buy us Chinese food.” They headed back towards the front of the building leaving Todd and Dirk alone. Dirk laughed watching Bart drag Ethan along and smiled over at Todd.

“Well, world saved. What do you say, Chinese food with those two?” Todd was smiling at him.

“Love is greater than knowledge, huh?” Dirk felt himself blush but managed a nod.

“It seemed, like the most logical answer, to, to the question.” Todd moved in closer, grabbing Dirk by the wrists and smiling up at him.

“Well, I’d have to agree. Shall we prove it to the universe?” Dirk nodded and leaned down for the kiss. Whether it was aliens, or werewolves, or toppeling secret government organizations, he was more than happy to do it all, as long as Todd was at his side. And if the feeling in his chest was any indication, he knew he would be.

They pulled apart and Todd looked up at him.

“I love you.” Todd said.

“To the moon and back.” Dirk answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna miss writing this. Werewolf AUs are too fun. See you all next time :D -Sam  
> Thank you so much for reading! We had a lot of fun writing this and hope you guys liked it! Sorry again, for the pain, and the death, and the sadness. Hope you cried a lot! We did! Thank you again!! -Sarah

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry to ruin your fun but Priest is a little bitch -Sam  
> Goddamn right he is! Also, again, very sorry, it's about to get really bad. Welcome to Angst City! -Sarah


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